Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles
by Neon Majestic
Summary: During the periods of time skipped over by official records, people did not sit in a vacuum. They continued living their lives, being who they were, doing what they were best able to do. These chronicles tell tales of people who lived at the same time as the Kyuushingai. SUPPLEMENT to "Kitsune no Ken: Fist of the Fox." GAIDEN 35, "Tiger Fangs and Dragon Claws," now up!
1. Playful Mouse

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 01 – Playful Mouse**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place during the time-skip in which Naruto is off training with Minato.)_

1:15 p.m.

Rain was falling on the roof of the Hyuga mansion, and all around the grounds surrounding the hilltop structure was soaked. The weather forecast that morning had called for afternoon showers, and now Konoha Town was getting a good watering as had been promised by the weatherman. Yet for all the pitter-patter of the drops on the roof, the work of the household staff as they busied themselves with their regular duties was not disturbed for the sound of the rain.

But being stuck indoors during rainy weather tended to make Hinata rather bored.

Hyuga Hinata, the elder daughter and immediate main heir of the patriarch Hyuga Hiashi, was lying in bed, looking up at the ceiling. She had tried napping, in an effort to make the time pass more quickly, but sleep refused to come to her.

She couldn't think of any way to sate her boredom. She wondered for a moment if she should go into the family's library and peruse any of the books there…but then she remembered that her sister Hanabi was already in there and had basically claimed the room as her territory. Her father Hiashi was still at work, and her cousin Neji had gone out for the day, presumably to spend time with his friend Lee. And Hinata had enough consideration for the household staff not to disturb them as they went about their duties…no need to distract them just because she couldn't do much of anything while the rain limited her scop of activities.

Leaning as far back into her pillows as she could, she decided to let her mind wander a little. And it went wandering on people.

The first person her thoughts went to was the one she held a special place in her heart for—blond hair, whisker-like scars on both cheeks, and a mischievous grin. Uzumaki Naruto was out of the area now, recuperating from the injuries he'd sustained at the hands of the terrorist group Akatsuki, and expected to receive training from his father Minato, if he hadn't started already. Hinata smiled as she allowed her thoughts to linger on the boy on whom she'd had a crush from the first day she'd seen him...then, a bit reluctantly, she let her mind wander to other people known to both of them.

 _Uchiha Sasuke-kun...cool, direct, and son of Father's main business rival, but he was certainly willing to help Naruto-kun when Akatsuki had him in their clutches. Yamanaka Ino...my best friend, and also Naruto-kun's first friend when he first arrived here in town...Uzumaki Kushina-san, Naruto-kun's mother, a woman of timely wisdom and filled with love for her family...and..._

Hinata's mind ran to another person...this one much closer to home. _Yugito-san..._

She'd met the woman, Nii Yugito, a good while back, at the Hyuga family's annual socialite party. Yugito had been a former acquaintance of Naruto's...to be more exact, a former member of the infamous Nine Terrors, just as he had been. As unlikely as it would have seemed, Hinata had gotten to know Yugito a little better, on her own initiative, and there had begun an association…nay, now, a close friendship...one that Hinata would have thought of as odd once upon a time, given Yugito's background, but which she now valued highly, seeing as Yugito had been helping her to grow and mature both as a fighter and as an individual.

Hinata thought back to when she'd first made proper acquaintance with Yugito. When they had met at the party, Yugito had presented herself as a no-nonsense woman and a government operative who was there to warn Naruto about the machinations of Akatsuki. The next time the two met, Hinata discovered three things about the blond-haired woman: that she was a woman of significant means, which was no small asset when it came to residing in a room at the illustrious Samsara Hotel for longer than a few days; that she was quite unashamed of her own good looks, as evidenced by her complete lack of embarrassment when Hinata caught her taking a shower in an artificial waterfall on the terrace of her high-rise penthouse suite; and that she had a sense of humor and wasn't above teasing the teenager as she saw fit. The seriousness did not completely subside, though, as Yugito made clear while enlightening Hinata about what she knew of the circumstances of the 365 days, and then when she agreed to become Hinata's trainer in self-defense, at the latter's request.

And Yugito was quite a stern trainer, too; not a few times since they'd started training together had Hinata sustained multiple bruises, been knocked flat on her butt, and been forced to practically apply the lessons Yugito was quite literally beating into her. Outside of their training sessions, Hinata came to realize, Yugito was very affable, if grave at times; inside training, she embodied the drill-sergeant mindset. That she had been a detective-sergeant of police prior to the 365 days likely had something to do with it as well, Hinata felt sure.

But even with the harshness of their training sessions, a bond had developed between the two girls. Hinata, for her part, was gradually seeing Yugito as a big sister; almost like a mother...a little stricter than she remembered her own late mother being, to be certain, but still a role model nonetheless. Hinata knew, too, that Yugito truly did care about her, in her own way. The moments of teasing...the smiles of approval...even during training, the effort to ensure Hinata understood the concepts being taught to her...Hinata didn't know if Yugito had ever put out that kind of effort for anyone else before, except maybe Naruto—and even in that case, they'd been united by the common factor of being members of the Nine Terrors who had fought just to keep from being killed during the year of chaos.

It hadn't been very long since Yugito had moved into the Hyuga mansion, on a temporary basis since the Samsara Hotel was still doing repair work on the section of the suite hallway that had been damaged from the fight between Sasuke's brother Itachi and Akatsuki member Kyusuke. This current arrangement worked well for both of them, as Hiashi had taken on Yugito to serve as a bodyguard of sorts for Hinata; it meant that they were in constant close contact with each other, instead of one having to travel any significant distance across town to meet with the other. It also worked in that, being in such close contact on a daily basis, the two could eat together, socialize together, and even use the spacious back yard to train together.

Except, at the moment, the back yard was rained out, so training was out of the question until the weather eased up.

Yugito had contributed a good degree of her time and energy to help Hinata, the heiress knew well. And she was grateful for the effort the ex-cop had put forward to help her get stronger and come more out of her shell.

 _Aw, damn it, still bored…_

Hinata sighed, listening for a while to the rain falling outside, as she allowed her thought-train to travel. Thought after thought came to mind, with each being dismissed as quickly as it came. "What am I supposed to do right now?" Hinata asked quietly.

The background noise of the falling rain filled the silence for a moment.

 _Hmm…I wonder...what if I…_

Carefully throwing her sheets off her person, Hinata slipped out of bed and padded to the bedroom door, opening it as gently as she could and looking out. From her immediate vantage point, she could see two maids dutifully working in the living room downstairs; there was no sign of anyone else in the immediate vicinity. Nodding, Hinata walked with catlike tread along the passageway and toward the place where she knew Yugito's room was. In a moment she approached the woman's bedroom door, and only then paused and looked at the doorknob for a long moment.

 _Should I even..._

Taking a deep, quiet breath to steel herself, she reached forward and tried the doorknob. She didn't know if Yugito had locked her bedroom door; if she did, the door would not give, and thus, no harm, no foul. If not...

She turned the doorknob as gently as she could so as not to make any undue noise. She felt the mechanisms giving way...then she carefully pushed the door open a bit and looked inside.

Just inside the door was Yugito's queen-sized bed, with the woman herself lying on her back, her head turned away from the doorway, her hair not in a ponytail as usual, but completely loose and spread out on the pillow. The sheet was drawn up to Yugito's rather sizeable chest, and the outline of her breasts could plainly be seen as she breathed softly in her nap. Carefully, so as not to disturb her home's guest, Hinata slipped inside and shut the door as softly as she could, before turning and stepping toward Yugito on the same cat-like tread. In a moment she was standing over Yugito's resting form, looking down at her instructor.

 _She looks so peaceful...and yet...like this, almost vulnerable..._

Hinata considered the matter. She wasn't certain it would be a wise idea to just reach out and shake Yugito to determine if she was really asleep; aware of what horrors Yugito had had to endure during the 365 days, the heiress was willing to bet that the ex-cop might be a PTSD sufferer and thus might lash out at anyone who tried to wake her roughly and unduly. And yet, Hinata did not know her to be a sufferer of bad dreams, plus she directly remembered how Yugito had told her that the only reason she'd been able to come upon the older woman in that same waterfall-shower scenario was because Yugito let her. So, she reasoned, if Yugito had truly not desired for anyone to come in on her here, she would have made sure of it by whatever means she saw fit.

"Yugito-san..." Hinata called softly, testing the waters.

There was no response, but she saw Yugito shift her head slightly.

Hinata studied the older woman's face a little more. _Even in sleep...she's beautiful._

She made her decision.

Carefully, she reached down and pulled the sheets up from Yugito's feet. In the soft glare of the rain-filtered sunlight from outside the window, Yugito's well-pedicured toes came into view. Hinata studied them for a moment; many a time during their training sessions together, Yugito had balanced her body on these same toes to teach Hinata how to keep her balance during a fight. In sparring sessions, these feet were strong, sturdy…now, they were…

Hinata couldn't help the slight smile that came over her face. With a little bit of mischief in her eyes, she carefully lowered herself and, experimentally, she placed the tip of her fingernail on the top of Yugito's big toe and gently drew the finger down the older woman's sole.

"…mmm…" The sound came from Yugito's throat so quietly that Hinata only barely caught it.

Stifling a chuckle, Hinata added two more fingers and let them travel up and down Yugito's sole. Yugito, eyes still closed, grunted and drew her leg up and out of Hinata's reach, turning onto her side; that act, however, left her other foot still uncovered and within reach. Hinata shook her head lightly as she observed this, and readied her fingers again.

 _What the hell am I even doing? I swear, Yugito-san's rubbing off on me in a bad way…_

Her fingertips moved swiftly but lightly, caressing the flesh of Yugito's other foot-bottom.

"…tickles…" Yugito murmured, but otherwise didn't stir.

 _This woman's mischievous nature is definitely rubbing off on me,_ Hinata thought to herself. _But if the sensei can have a playful side…_

Her index finger moved in circular patterns around Yugito's instep.

"…cut it out…baka Itachi…" Yugito's foot shifted, as did her shoulders.

Hinata's ears pricked up at the mention of Itachi's name. Yugito seemed to have some…interesting thoughts about Sasuke's older brother, it would seem.

The Hyuga's fingers kept moving up and down.

"…pervert Itachi…gonna castrate you…" Yugito mumbled, only now bringing her leg up to join her other one.

Hinata silently gave thanks she was not Itachi.

She dared to go a step further, reaching up and slipping the tip of her index finger in between Yugito's toes. She heard Yugito's slight gasp, and the older woman's feet shifted again, this time going completely under the sheets Hinata had drawn up earlier. "Perverted bird-brain Itachi," Yugito mumbled.

Hinata decided to break the charade. She stood up and moved to the head of the bed, bringing her mouth down to Yugito's ear. "Yugito-san..." she whispered.

"Mmm..."

Hinata watched as Yugito's brow furrowed, though her eyes stayed shut. "It's me—Hinata," she supplied.

The corners of Yugito's eyes moved a little...then her eyes slowly opened, blinking awake. "Hinata...?" she asked, her voice clearly groggy from having just awoken. "What is it...?"

Hinata let her smile show in full. "Seems you think quite a few perverted things about Itachi-san."

"Because Itachi's a perv—" Yugito said automatically, before stopping to register what Hinata had just said. "…wait, what?"

The younger woman giggled. "The things you say in your sleep."

The rest of Yugito's sleepiness vanished in that moment. "Wait…Hinata…what did you just do?"

"I caught you in an extremely vulnerable position, Yugito-san," Hinata said with a lot of innocence in her tone.

At that moment, Yugito could feel a sort-of-prickly sensation in the bottoms of her feet. She looked down at them, covered as they were by her sheet, then at Hinata. "And your reason was…"

"Because the kitty-cat's playfulness has rubbed off on her favorite little mouse." Hinata had deliberately chosen her words.

Yugito stared at Hinata…then seconds later a fit of chuckling overcame the ex-cop. "Am I that bad an influence on you, young lady?"

Hinata's smile got a little wider. "Nobody to blame but yourself, playful cat."

"I suppose so," Yugito conceded. "But in any event…" She fixed a direct look on the Hyuga heiress's face. "Playtime is over now, okay, little mouse? Just to pay you back for that, we'll have an even more intense training session after the rain lets up."

"Yes, ma'am," Hinata nodded assent, though the smile didn't leave her face even as she bowed briefly in farewell and then exited the room.

Shaking her head as she watched the dark-haired girl leave, Yugito settled back onto her pillow…while making a mental note to start wearing socks to bed from now on.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 01

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Yes, I did this chapter's plot on purpose. Yes, it will be canon to the main story, since it is a gaiden chapter. No, I am not going to do anything more perverted than this. No, I do not know if I will reference this in the main story's narrative.


	2. Mist City Chronicles, Part 1

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 02 – Mist City Chronicles, Part 1**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place four months before the start of the main plot in Chapter 1 of the main story.)_

"Ajisai! Wake up, dear, it's time to head to school!"

The red-haired woman stood outside the bedroom door and knocked loudly on it. "Up and at 'em, girl!" she called. "It's the first day of the new school year, and you want to make a good impression on your new schoolmates and teachers, don't you?"

"Leave me alone, Mom," a sleepy voice grunted from the other side of the door.

"Is that all you have to say?" the woman retorted, a cross look coming over her face. "Well, in that case..."

Turning the doorknob and pushing the door open, she looked in and saw a shock of red hair, not unlike her own, strewn messily atop a pillow, with the rest of the hair's owner covered by bed-sheets. With a grand flourish, she walked over and yanked the sheets off. "Get up now, daughter dear!" she announced.

"Ugh...come on, Mom," Ajisai groaned, burying her face deeper into the pillow and feeling around fruitlessly for the sheets. "Why do I have to go to this stupid school anyway? Iwa City High was good enough, wasn't it?"

"Come now, Ajisai, we've had this discussion before," her mother said firmly. "I had to move to Mist City for my job, and I wasn't about to let you stay in Iwa City all by yourself, ergo, you're here with me now."

Ajisai now bothered to sit up in bed, albeit grumpily, and glared at her mother. "Correction, Mom—you volunteered to take up this post for your company's branch office here in Mist City because it gave you a convenient excuse to get as far away from Grandpa as possible, and I'm just along for the ride suffering the collateral damage."

The older woman stiffened. "Your grandfather is not a good influence, Ajisai. You _know_ the things he's done. And I am going to do my due diligence as your mother and make sure you are kept in the best environment possible—away from HIM."

"And being in Mist City is better, how exactly?" Ajisai challenged. "This place has got the worst reputation out of every major city in the region—or did you forget about the infamous Mist City Butcher, Yagura, and his Blood Mist gang?"

"Well, dear, there will be criminals everywhere you go, and Mist City is no exception," her mother said stoutly. "But if I was going to be afraid of every crook in the world, I'd never leave the house. And besides, you have people who still live in Mist City in spite of Yagura—if they were truly afraid of him, they'd have left eons ago, don't you think?"

"Whatever," Ajisai growled.

"In any event, it's too late to back out now. I've already gotten you placed at Mist City High, and your fees are already paid for this semester AND they're non-refundable, so you're going to get dressed now, you're going to go to your new school, and you're going to like it. Understand?" her mother admonished her. "Now hurry up and get ready, young lady."

 **OoOoO**

"...and in the future, I want to be a neurosurgeon," a random student in the class was saying.

"Very good, very good," the teacher nodded. "All right, we're down to three names now. So..." He scanned the list in his hand. "Kimura Mikoshi, you're next."

Ajisai was sitting near the back of the room in her assigned homeroom class at Mist City High, her elbow propped on top of her desk and her chin resting in her palm, wishing she was anywhere but there. She gave only a marginally interested look in the direction of the just-named student, a boy with curly brown hair and glasses, as he stood at his desk and adjusted his glasses slightly with one hand.

"Ahem...good morning, Sensei, and everyone," the boy began. "I'm Kimura Mikoshi...15 years old...uh, my interests include the study of English literature, and I also like nature documentaries. My dream is to become a teacher, preferably at the elementary level." And he sat back down.

"All right," the teacher nodded acknowledgement. "Next...Roshi Ajisai."

Sighing loudly, Ajisai stood to her feet. "Hey, everyone," she waved her hand once to the class at large. "Like Sensei said, I'm Roshi Ajisai. I'm 14 years old. I'm originally from Iwa City, but my mom and I moved here last week for her work. My granddad's the local museum curator back in Iwa City...I've always liked watching action movies with him. Hmm...I like French fries, but I don't like sweet stuff...as for what I want to do in future..." Her eyes narrowed. "After I leave school, I want to be a boxer, and become the world champion female boxer."

Immediately whispers began to circulate around the classroom. "Female boxing? Is she serious?" Ajisai could hear a few of the girls speculating.

"What a tomboy!" one hissed.

"So she thinks she's so tough, huh?" one boy whispered to the classmate next to him. "Well, I'd like to show her how tough she really is..."

"Ahem..." The teacher cleared his throat, grabbing everyone's attention. "That's, uh, quite interesting, Roshi-san. Thank you; you may be seated."

Ajisai sat down and leaned back lazily in her chair, pointedly ignoring the stares of her classmates.

"And now, we're down to the last name..." The teacher looked at the list again. "Yamazaki Omoi."

All at once, Ajisai felt a shift in the room's mood—the disdain she'd felt directed toward her was now replaced by a feeling of unease as she noticed everyone looking toward a corner of the class, at the back. Turning to look with the others, she saw a dark-skinned young man with short, spiky white hair and a cool expression on his face; from what she could see, he was built like a brick wall, with arms so muscular one could probably break boards on them. Now he slowly stood up; the students sitting immediately in front of him and beside him looked as if they would have fled the room right then and there.

"Yo," the student in question flashed a two-finger salute. "Name's Yamazaki Omoi, for the newcomers here. 14 years old; born and grown right here in Mist City's Seppuku Society part of town. I don't particularly like anything...but I definitely hate people who think they can boss me around and get away with it." He fixed a look on the teacher, who suddenly looked nervous. "As for when I leave school...what I want to do...I haven't particularly settled on anything just yet, but I definitely intend to be my own boss—not answering to anybody." And with that he sat down.

"...yes. Well." The teacher pulled at his collar with one finger; if Ajisai wasn't mistaken, the man appeared to have been sweating. "All right, thank you for your introductions, everyone."

"Hmm..." Ajisai cast a glance at Omoi, who simply sat there with a bored expression on his face. _It seems this class might not be such a drag after all..._

 **OoOoO**

"O-nii-san! There you are, o-nii-san!"

"Eh?" Mikoshi, in the process of opening his locker, turned at the sound of the familiar voice coming up the corridor. "Oh, hey, Maki."

"What? How can you greet your own little sister so casually?" Maki, a feisty-looking but otherwise pretty girl with shoulder-length dark-brown hair, pouted as she approached him. "You should be more excited to see me, like so! 'Maki-chan, I missed you so greatly!' Or something like that, see?"

"Whatever, sis," Mikoshi rolled his eyes. "Just because we're both attending the same high school now, that doesn't mean I'm going to be a genki-kid like you. We see each other every day, as it is."

"And that's a crime?" Maki asked accusingly. "Anyway," she resumed a cheerful demeanor, "how's your new class for this year? Got any interesting classmates now?"

"Well..." Mikoshi suddenly looked past her. "Funny you should mention that—one of them is coming this way right now."

Indeed, coming in their direction was the new girl from Iwa City with the spiky red hair. "Ahem, pardon me, Roshi-san," Mikoshi addressed her.

"Hmm?" The redhead cocked an eyebrow at him. "Oh, you're the guy who wants to be a teacher. Is there something you want from me?"

"Ah, well..." Mikoshi rubbed the back of his head as a sheepish look came over his face. "It's just that, well, my sister here wanted to know something about my classmates for this year, so..."

"So you singled me out. Brilliant." The redhead's mouth curved downward in distaste.

Maki stepped forward and looked the other girl up and down. "So...what's so special about this girl, o-nii-san? Is she your newest wet dream?"

Mikoshi swiftly clapped a hand over Maki's mouth. "Would you stop saying crap like that?" he demanded. "That's not it in the slightest!" and he glanced around in embarrassment at nearby students, some of whom had definitely heard Maki's comment and were snickering behind their hands.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed, big brother. After all, she IS rather pretty." Maki chuckled. "Not as cute as your little sister, though."

"I didn't know I was in some kind of competition," the redhead said dryly.

"Oi, you there...Roshi Ajisai."

The new voice caused the group and the other students around them to look up as one. Immediately the nearby students huddled together, their mirth and banter dipping, and a few began to whisper to one another as they beheld the speaker approaching Ajisai. "It seems I've become popular on my first day here," Ajisai grunted. "You're that Yamazaki Omoi fellow...can I help you?"

"Let's just say you've caught my interest—and since that's not something that happens often, that makes you extra special today," Omoi replied, his deadpan look not once faltering as he stared at Ajisai. "You're aiming high with that goal of yours, aren't you—wanting to become female boxing champion of the world and all that?"

"What of it?" Ajisai cocked an eyebrow.

"Well...I just have to wonder...do you really think you've got what it takes to even become a boxer? You definitely don't look the part—and trust me, I've seen a lot of tough chicks growing up in Seppuku Society," Omoi told her. "They'd kick you around like a football before you could lift a finger to defend yourself."

"Don't underestimate me. I can be a real tough cookie," Ajisai said coolly.

"Then why don't you prove it?" said Omoi.

"Do tell. How, exactly?" asked Ajisai.

Omoi focused his gaze right into her eyes. "The dirt track behind the school's volleyball court, at sundown today. Meet me there. Show me if you've got the courage to take on your dream...unless, of course, you're nothing more than a flyweight biting off more than she can chew..."

"I'll be there right at sundown," Ajisai replied.

All during this discourse, Mikoshi and Maki had been looking from Ajisai to Omoi and back again. Now, abruptly, Mikoshi stepped in between the two. "Uh, big brother, what're you doing?" Maki asked, a note of worry in her voice.

"Yamazaki-kun." Mikoshi eyeballed Omoi. "I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to put such a challenge to Roshi-san."

"What're you talking about, glasses-boy? I already did, and she's accepted. This has nothing to do with you, so butt out," Omoi said, his voice going low.

"Oi, oi, don't try acting all chivalrous and cool all of a sudden. I don't need your help," Ajisai growled at Mikoshi.

"This isn't about you needing my help or not, Roshi-san," Mikoshi answered, glancing over his shoulder at her. "I just don't believe a man should raise his hand to a woman, no matter what the reason, whether she can fight back or not."

"Well, it's not like you can do anything about it now, fella," Omoi informed him.

"I beg to differ." Mikoshi's voice was clipped. "I'll have to insist that you take back your challenge, Yamazaki-kun."

"And if I don't?" Omoi demanded, his eyes narrowing.

"Well, then..." A glint of light seemed to flash across Mikoshi's glasses lenses. "I'd rather not have to show you. It would be very tedious."

"O-nii-san, don't..." Maki urged her brother, grabbing his arm.

Omoi's brow furrowed. "Better listen to your sister, guy. You don't want to get in my way."

"Enough of this." Ajisai shoved Mikoshi out of the way. "Oi, white-head, I'll be there behind the volleyball court at sundown, like you said. Don't be late."

"Hmph." Omoi turned on his heel and walked off without a backward glance.

Ajisai now turned to Mikoshi. "I don't know what your deal is, but I didn't ask you for help, and I don't appreciate you trying to fight my fights for me. Just back off, got it?" Then she stormed off without waiting for an answer.

"Hmph…" Maki pouted as she gave Mikoshi a disapproving eye. "I guess that's what you get for being chivalrous, eh, nii-san?"

Mikoshi gave a longsuffering sigh. "Oh, well. I tried, at least."

 **OoOoO**

Ajisai spent the rest of the day in between classes trying to find out whatever she could about Omoi. She needed to know everything she could about him before engaging him in their planned fight later; after all, it would be foolhardy of her to rush headlong into a confrontation with him without knowing what she would be up against.

And one thing she was learning quickly was that, at Mist City High School, word traveled fast. A lot of the students seemed to know almost immediately on seeing her that she'd accepted a challenge issued by a guy who was evidently well-known and highly feared by the student populace. And it was really starting to aggravate her that, any time the students spotted her coming toward them, they kept a wide berth of her.

Now she was sitting in her last class for the day, waiting for the period to start. There weren't a lot of other students there, though, and those that were present were keeping their distance from Ajisai, though their conversations were being held in hushed whispers as some of them cast fleeting glances her way.

And Ajisai was getting sick and tired of it.

"Oi, guys, I don't have cooties, you know," she said aloud to nobody in particular.

The guys and girls in the room stared at her, but none made any attempt to reply to her snarky comment.

"What? You guys want to come see me throw down with this Omoi guy later? Don't worry, admission's free," Ajisai continued in a deadpan tone.

She was so caught up in her own sarcasm and the wary looks of the other students in the room that she didn't notice someone approaching her seat…until a book-bag got noisily set down on the desk next to hers. "You're not going to make any friends with that attitude of yours, you know," a familiar voice caught her ear.

Ajisai looked up to see the speaker. "Oh…wonderful…Mr. Chivalrous again," she grunted as she saw Mikoshi. "I don't need a nerd like you sitting next to me." She started to get up.

"I understand you've been asking around to get more information about Yamazaki-kun since that meeting earlier," Mikoshi said calmly. "Indulge me a little, Roshi-san. I'll bring you up to speed."

Ajisai cocked an eyebrow at Mikoshi, but nevertheless she slowly sat back down. "All right, then, four-eyes, go ahead and talk."

Mikoshi did not waste time as he also took his seat. "You heard Yamazaki-kun say he's from this city's Seppuku Society district. Putting it simply, that place is the worst of all Mist City's slums; it's so bad it makes all the rest look upper-class by comparison. It's pretty much mandatory that anybody who comes from that place has to be able to fight just to make it through there on a day-to-day basis, and if you happen to be in the neighborhood unguarded, you'd better be able to handle yourself, or else you'll get bruised and robbed—if you're lucky or the gangs living there are feeling generous that day."

"And Omoi?" Ajisai pressed.

"The word is, he's earned his stripes as a resident of the area," said Mikoshi. "The story goes that, last year, he singlehandedly sent four guys to the hospital, all of them bigger than himself, all of them in the same fight, and he himself didn't get so much as a scrape. That's not someone you want to pick a fight with carelessly, unless, of course, you're looking to have a bone or two broken."

Ajisai cocked an eyebrow. "Which is why I've been trying to find out all I can about him. That's not being careless, now is it?"

Mikoshi sighed. "You don't intend to back down from this, do you?"

"No, I don't. And if you try and interfere, I'll rearrange your face, glasses or no glasses." Ajisai glared at him. "You got me?"

"If you say so…" Mikoshi shrugged. "Oh, look, class is about to start now."

 **OoOoO**

The rest of the day wore on. The final period ended, and students headed to their various after-school club activities across campus. Those who were sports-minded were engaged in track, tennis, softball, baseball, soccer, kendo, and volleyball; those who were more academic were engaged in English, calligraphy, mathematics, science, and other such subjects.

But not Omoi. He'd given a bare-bones mandatory attendance at rugby practice, but after the first twenty minutes or so he'd made himself scarce, and given his reputation, the other club members were only too happy to let him leave, if only because his absence meant less chance of serious injury to them. As a result, he was now waiting along the path where he'd told Ajisai he'd be.

Club activities would continue for another hour and a half, he knew. As a new student, Ajisai would no doubt have to be present for the full time at her chosen club activity; by the time she'd be free, it would be 5:30 p.m.; in another half-hour after that, the sun would start to set.

Omoi could afford to wait. After all, from what he'd seen of Ajisai, she wasn't going to run away from any challenge.

He leaned against the perimeter fence separating the dirt track from the school's volleyball court. Beyond the fence was a high wall surrounding said court, built so as to prevent the volleyballs from getting too far away from the players; this meant that he couldn't see any of the activity going on, but he could hear the grunts of exertion from the players—and these were from the girls' team—as the ball got knocked about. On the plus side, that same high wall meant that the students couldn't see him, either; that was just as well for him, as the fewer people that could get involved in the upcoming duel, the less hassle his life would have.

The minutes passed. The clouds floated slowly overhead. The sky gradually changed from blue to shades of orange. Omoi felt himself dozing off slightly as he kept leaning against the fence.

Approaching footsteps caught his ear. "Ah, time already?" he asked, stretching one arm high to rid himself of the lingering sleepy feeling as he turned to face the new arrival.

 **OoOoO**

"Geez, track club lasted longer than I thought it would," Ajisai grumbled as she opened her locker to collect her street shoes. "Well, at least I know I've still got speed…"

"Roshi-san?"

Ajisai turned at the sound of the voice—and Maki was standing there. "Oh…you're that nerd-boy's sister," she remarked. "Sorry, but I don't have time to talk with you. I've an appointment to keep."

"Your fight with Omoi…well, that's actually what I'm here to talk about," Maki said quietly.

"Really?" Ajisai gave her a narrowed glare. "Are you here to try and talk me out of it like your brother tried today?"

"Actually, no…" Maki took a deep breath. "I thought I should at least let you know why he was so insistent."

"For what purpose?" Ajisai wanted to know.

"You think Mikoshi-nii-san is being chauvinistic by not wanting you to fight a guy like Omoi," said Maki. "But it isn't about chauvinism, or chivalry, or anything like that…my brother just can't stand to see a girl get hurt fighting with guys."

"Sounds like an old-fashioned patriarchal attitude to me. Excuse me, I've somewhere to be and I'm already running late." Ajisai placed her school shoes in her locker, put on her street shoes, and walked past Maki toward the exit.

"Our father beat our mother to death right in front of us."

Ajisai's hand was just turning the doorknob when Maki's words hit her ears. Her eyes widened and she froze. "…"

 **OoOoO**

Omoi frowned as he saw who was standing before him. "You again…"

"Yes, Yamazaki-kun, me again." Mikoshi nodded.

"Where's that Roshi chick?" Omoi asked. "Did you see her on your way here? Or…" His eyes narrowed. "Did you somehow persuade her not to come? If that's what happened, you're a real meddlesome guy."

"No, I haven't seen her since our last class together today. And no, her not being here yet has nothing to do with me. I just decided to come before she did, in which case…" Mikoshi looked around. "I guess I was successful."

"Why are you so interested in this? I told you, it's got nothing to do with you," Omoi said sternly.

"And _I_ told _you,_ I do not believe a man should raise his hand to hit a woman, regardless of whether she can fight back or not." A glint of light flashed across Mikoshi's glasses lenses. "Any man who does that is the worst kind of man alive."

"And what're you going to do about it if I raise my hand to Roshi?" Omoi asked.

"If you do…" Mikoshi reached a hand up and took off his glasses. "…then I'll raise my hand to _you."_

 **OoOoO**

"We were nine years old," Maki said softly, not turning to face Ajisai. "We'd grown up pretty used to the sight of Dad coming in at night and…manhandling Mom. Some nights he was sober…most nights he wasn't. But it didn't matter either way…the first couple of times it happened, one of our neighbors called the police, but Mom dissuaded them with some full-of-bull story about her being clumsy and bumping into stuff. The cops didn't believe her, of course…but there wasn't anything they could do, since Mom refused to press charges against Dad. And then…"

Ajisai stayed right where she was, silent, listening.

"That night…Dad came home and started his usual accusations…saying how Mom was sleeping around with other men while he was at work…he took up a paper-weight from off the table and smashed it on Mom's head. She…the paramedics couldn't resuscitate her. Dad went to jail for manslaughter, and Mikoshi-nii-san and I were sent to live with our aunt." Maki paused and took a deep breath so as to compose herself. "Our aunt's really cool and all, but…everything we had to deal with at home before we moved in with her…and everything we've had to deal with even while arranging to live with her, because of the whole legal shenanigans and filling out of paperwork just for her to have custody of us…and the living arrangements the state put us in while all that was sorted out…that's why Mikoshi-nii-san wants to become a teacher, you know. So that he can be to other kids what he thinks is a rarity in this city…a real role model, somebody kids can actually look up to…somebody kids can trust."

The redhead slowly turned around. "…so that's it…"

Maki nodded. "They say the 365 days' experience was a living nightmare for as long as it lasted. Well…I don't exaggerate when I say that, between our abusive dad and the foster homes we lived in before Auntie finally got full custody of us, Mikoshi-nii-san and I went through living hell. And…maybe he won't say it, but I think he feels some guilt, too…"

 **OoOoO**

"You'll raise your hand to me?" Omoi scowled at Mikoshi. "You got a death wish, four-eyes?"

Mikoshi only smiled. "I've looked death in the face many nights, man, long before the 365 days was even a thing. A back-alley thug like you can't frighten me."

"Pfft. You've looked death in the face? Well, so have lots of people living here in Mist City. You'll have to do better than that." Omoi walked toward Mikoshi. "And right now, my patience is running dry real fast. You're only getting one more chance—back off of this, or I'll _make_ you."

"Well, then…I guess you'll have to make me…if you think you can." Mikoshi's tone was low.

Omoi's eyes widened. "Why, you…!" he snapped, lunging forward with one fist flying at Mikoshi's head…

…only Mikoshi was no longer standing there. Omoi blinked. _Where'd he—_

"Behind you."

Flinching as he heard Mikoshi's voice from behind, Omoi turned around. "Damn, you're fast."

"Or perhaps it's just that you're slow," Mikoshi replied. "In addition to which, you're missing a button on your shirt, near your belt."

"Say what…?" Omoi looked down at his shirt—and indeed he was missing a shirt button. "But…wait…"

"Wondering how that happened and what it's got to do with anything?" asked Mikoshi. "When you punched at me, I ducked under your punch and stepped behind you. While I was evading you…" He held up something between his thumb and forefinger—Omoi's missing button.

Omoi's brow furrowed. "You pulled the button off while avoiding my punch…"

"And in the time it took me to do that, I could have done a lot more damage instead of just vandalizing your shirt." Mikoshi eyed him. "And if you still want to keep fighting, make no mistake—I WILL show you what else I'm capable of damaging."

Omoi stared at the other boy for a long moment. _This guy…he could've dropped me flat in less than two seconds and I wouldn't have even realized it…just who IS he?_

Abruptly, the white-haired youth turned his back on Mikoshi. "Balls to this. You're just being a pain in the ass. I'm out of here." He started to walk away.

"Okay," said Mikoshi. "So…see you in class tomorrow, eh?"

"Whatever," Omoi waved him off without looking back.

Mikoshi chuckled as he watched Omoi's departure. Then he looked down at the confiscated button, still in his hand. "Not often I get to do that…ah, well…"

 **OoOoO**

"Guilt?" Ajisai cocked her head and studied the other girl. "Guilt for what?"

Maki lowered her eyes, still not turning to look at Ajisai. "Because…the night Mom died…there wasn't anything he could do to protect her. I mean, come on, we were kids—what _could_ we have done against our own father?"

"And you? Do you feel guilty like that?" Ajisai asked, more softly than she'd intended.

Maki's eyes were overshadowed. "Roshi-san…you seem to be a tough, strong girl." She bit her lip. "I wish…I wish Mom could have been as strong as you…"

Silence filled the air. Then, abruptly, Maki lifted her head and turned around, her eyes closed and a bright smile on her face. "Sorry. I'm talking strange things all of a sudden. Well…I won't detain you anymore." She opened her eyes and her smile lessened a bit. "I just wanted you to know why my brother's like that, that's all. Well…see you tomorrow, I guess."

Seeing Maki walk toward the door, Ajisai stepped aside and let the other girl go through it. She herself stayed where she was long after the door slowly swung shut. "…hmm."

 **OoOoO**

The sun was already making its way beyond the horizon when Ajisai finally arrived at the designated spot…only to see Mikoshi there, leaning against the fence. "Mikoshi…" Ajisai paused, recalling what she'd learned not too long ago from Maki. "Where's Omoi?"

Mikoshi shrugged. "Well, as you can plainly see, he isn't here, Roshi-san. And sunset's already giving way to nightfall, and I doubt even he'll be out this late. It's not safe to be out after dark in certain parts of Mist City, including in his neighborhood."

"Yet _you're_ out," Ajisai pointed out.

"I figured I should let you know so you don't waste the whole night looking out for Yamazaki-kun," said Mikoshi. "Besides, when it comes on to certain hours, even the less dangerous neighborhoods in this city get put under curfew and the police patrols intensify. You don't want to be out without a good excuse in case a cop stops you, and somehow I don't think 'taking a fight challenge' will count as a good excuse in their book." He eased off the fence and began to walk away. "Well, that's all I wanted to tell you. See you at school tomorrow."

Ajisai's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched Mikoshi leave. For a moment, a small internal debate went on in her head. _Should I say something to him…about what his sister said…? Or…_

She opted for silence.

 **OoOoO**

"I'm back," Ajisai announced an hour later as she stepped inside the front door of home.

"Ah, good, you're here," her mother's voice sounded from the kitchen. "Good timing; you can help me get dinner started."

"All right, just let me get changed," Ajisai answered.

There was a few seconds' silence. "No sarcasm?" her mother inquired after a moment. "I guess that means your first day of school was interesting, then?"

"…you could say that," Ajisai said absently as she headed for her room.

 _One thing's for sure…Mist City High won't be boring after all._

 **OoOoO**

END OF GAIDEN 02

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Yes, folks, this gaiden chapter establishes that Roshi, a.k.a. Son Goku the Gorilla of the Kyuushingai, has a granddaughter named Ajisai, who in the canon _Naruto_ series had no connection to Roshi whatsoever. And no, this will not be the last time we see Ajisai, Mikoshi or Omoi in these gaiden chapters—they're intended to show up again in at least one more chapter. Will they ever appear in the main story? Well, considering that the main story is close to completion at this point, who knows?

Comments on the gaiden chapters welcome!


	3. Silence in Seclusion

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 03 – Silence in Seclusion**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place one week before the beginning of the 365 days in the main story.)_

The moon shone high in the night sky, casting a silver glare across the verdure-covered scenery in which the two-storey structure stood. During the day, the eye would have beheld this location in all its colorful glory: rich green plains spreading out for miles, orange trees with delectable yellow-skinned fruit, a lightly-flowing sapphire-colored waterfall and river a few hundred feet away from the house's back porch, and a backdrop of huge red-dusted mountains off in the distance, with the dwelling standing tall in peach-coloring with red slate-tiles on the roof. Now, at night, everything was bathed in shades of gray, dulling their normal colors, but they were no less majestic or breathtaking, with the lack of colors made up for by the twinkling of the stars above to accompany the moon's glow.

It was only now that Shimada Yachi could appreciate the beauty of the place, now that she'd been living here for a number of years. But when she'd first come out here to live, the natural beauty of this secluded spot was not what had driven her to make her home here.

She'd chosen it specifically _because_ of its seclusion.

Oh, sure, she'd been a city girl when she was much younger, enjoying the noise and bustle of urban life, and at times scoffing at the notion that she'd ever spend her retirement years on anything resembling a farm. But now, at 55 years of age, she wished she could somehow reach back in time and slap her younger self and tell her to not dismiss _any_ potential futures out of hand just because they might initially appear ridiculous to contemplate.

How many years had in fact passed since the fateful night she'd had to learn that lesson the hard way? Six? Seven? She only barely registered that any significant time had in fact passed, these days; these days, all she really wished to do was to manage the orange trees she'd taken to caring for since coming here, spend her days perusing the wonders of nature or taking a dip in the river if the sun was ever especially hot, and use her nights to read, study, and contemplate life, the universe and everything in it.

Anything to forget the disgrace she'd witnessed with her own eyes in the too-recent past…

The quiet of this lonely rural area was broken by the sound of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck's engine growling like the mechanical beast it was, as its gray-haired owner steered it toward the front of the yard where the house sat like a patient friend who'd been kept waiting. Moments later, the engine was silenced, and the driver, Yachi, pushed the door open and stepped out. She reached back inside the vehicle to grab two bags of groceries; then she tramped up the front steps to the porch, and from there she balanced one grocery bag under her arm while she worked the door open with her key and then slipped inside.

Stepping into the dark house, she used her memory of the layout to go toward the kitchen, where she set the groceries down on the counter. Her hands now free, she moved to turn on the light, her fingers hovering just above the switch…

…and she paused. For some reason, she couldn't tell what, she just felt… _uneasy._

"I know you're there. I know you likely prefer the darkness." She said it in a low, even voice, though her heart began to thump hard in her chest. "I don't know who you are, or how you got it…"

"Turn the light on, Shimada Yachi."

The voice responding to her sounded young, but there was a certain level of foreboding in it. Eyes narrowing, Yachi complied with the instruction and then turned to face the direction the stranger had spoken from—the side of the fridge, where she wouldn't have seen anyone hiding due to the appliance's placement relative to the kitchen's entrance. And…there he was, leaning against the wall right next to the fridge and the ledge where the blender, toaster and other smaller appliances were kept. "Who are you?" Yachi asked, her heart still beating hard.

The intruder sported messy dark hair and an apathetic expression on his face. "My name is Kankuro," he introduced himself.

Yachi cocked an eyebrow. "Seeing as you know my name despite me never seeing you before tonight, I guess your name is supposed to have some meaning to me."

"It likely wouldn't—and that wouldn't surprise me. But after tonight, you will remember it. And here's the reason why…" Kankuro eased off the wall and stood up straight, his piercing gaze never leaving the older woman's face. "A good while back, you served as this country's ambassador to a foreign power."

"I did. But that was years ago," Yachi said.

"Yes. You quit the position some seven years ago, and you've been living in general isolation ever since." Kankuro looked around. "So isolated, in fact, that you've effectively removed yourself from the national energy grid. Solar panelling on the roof of your house to store energy and provide you with power…a pump connected to the river outside to feed water into your pipes…and your only worldly luxuries are groceries, a TV, a cell-phone, and books. You live off your savings from your time with the government, the money bequeathed to you in your late husband's will, the sales you make from the orange trees outside, and money your daughter Villette earns from her dabbling in the stock market."

Yachi watched him carefully. "…you've been keeping close tabs on me and my daughter. And you've done it for a while, it appears. Why?"

"Why?" Kankuro's eyes narrowed. "Because of the very reason you gave up your post as ambassador. Tell me, Shimada Yachi…do you remember the phrase 'Futona Seigi'?"

There was a very heavy silence. Yachi eventually broke it. "Unjust justice."

"It was a phrase you used in your resignation e-mail to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs…a phrase you used to refer to the government's intention to cover up a blunder you were involved in so as to save its own reputation with other nations," said Kankuro. "Need I tell you what the blunder in question was?"

"I can only assume that since you already know this much, you know about that as well," said Yachi.

Kankuro nodded. "Yes, I do." He slowly stepped toward Yachi, stopping when he was two feet away from her. "While having a drunken flirtation with fellow political representative Gama Jiraiya, you and he accidentally triggered a missile launch that blew up a group of soldiers out on a training exercise. The government wanted to cover up the incident by saying those soldiers were on a run to supply weapons to terrorists, but instead got blown up by their own weaponry. Your refusal to agree with that plan led to your resignation."

"…yes." Yachi took a deep breath. "Though I wonder how you were able to pull up that information…"

"Let's just say it wasn't easy and it took quite a while to do, but it was done." Kankuro crossed his arms over his chest. "Tell me, Shimada Yachi. You're a smart woman. Would you like to guess why I'm so interested in the details of something that happened seven years ago on foreign soil?"

Yachi took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "I can hazard two guesses…either you're here for revenge because somebody you know was among the soldiers who died that night…or you're someone from the government's payroll who's come to silence me for knowing too much about what happened. Either way…I know I'm a dead woman walking. I always suspected something like this would happen one day…all because of one stupid mistake I helped to commit."

Kankuro didn't say anything for a minute. Then he let out a breath of his own. "My parents were among the soldiers who died in that incident. They and their comrades were branded as traitors by the government because it wanted to preserve its trade agreements with other nations, and if anyone else knew the truth, our country would never live down the shame. And all of this took place…because you and Jiraiya, in a moment of aroused fun, went somewhere you shouldn't have gone, touched a button you shouldn't have touched, and killed people you shouldn't have killed."

Yachi lowered her gaze. "Yes. As you say." She nodded once. "I have done your family a grave injustice—not on purpose, perhaps, but it still happened. No amount of apologizing I could ever do will bring your parents or their comrades back. And because I recognize that fact…"

Very carefully, she knelt down and placed her palms on the floor, hanging her head. "If it will satisfy your desire for revenge…then do what you want with me. I cannot deny any blame in what happened to your parents, after all."

Kankuro looked down at Yachi prostrating herself on the floor. He stooped down, reached for her head, took a fistful of her hair in his grip…

"You were the only one in that whole mess who refused to go along with the government's lie, and you threw away your position of power and prestige in protest over their actions. My brother, my sister and I, we realize that, for all your contribution to our parents' deaths, you made no contribution to their names being slandered. For that reason, we have decided that we will spare you your life."

Yachi's eyes widened—she hadn't expected to hear that. "What? But…"

"However." Kankuro's voice was sharp. "You will only be able to keep your life under one condition."

"…and that would be…?" Yachi asked softly.

Kankuro's response was blunt. "You are never to let anyone know that this meeting ever took place. Not even your daughter is to hear a word of it. And if you breach that condition…then you will wish I _had_ killed you tonight." His tone was low, dark and menacing. "Keep living your simple life with its simple set-up, keep your tongue silent about what has happened here tonight, and all will be well for you. If your tongue gets too loose…it will be known. And it will be _promptly_ and _strongly_ addressed."

Yachi slowly closed her eyes, keeping her face toward the floor. "I understand."

She kept her eyes closed and remained in the same prostrate position even as the grip on her hair loosened…as heavy footsteps departed from the kitchen…as silence reigned in the house. A few minutes passed before she dared to open her eyes and lift her head…and when she did so, there was no sign of Kankuro anywhere.

The ex-ambassador was alone.

She shifted to her feet and slowly stood up. The light was still on, but somehow, the kitchen, the whole house, everything felt and looked foreign to her.

She made a point of double-checking all the locks and bolts on all the doors and windows before going to bed later that night.

 **OoOoO**

END OF GAIDEN 03

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Okay, so…yeah. As I had promised in the main _Kitsune no Ken_ story, this provides a bit of back-story into certain events that have recently been revealed in the mainstory.

Although I will say, originally I was going to make it be Gaara that was confronting Yachi here, though I realized that, at the time of this incident, one month before the 365 days began, Gaara would have been about 12 or 13, and even if he was going to be one of the highly-trained individuals who would later be the Kyuushingai, it wouldn't make any sense for someone who's basically a child to come here for the purpose of confronting Yachi in this way. By contrast, Kankuro, being Gaara's older brother, has—IMHO—the least development in this entire story compared to Gaara and Temari, and so I decided to let him be the one involved in this situation, for a bit more emotional depth on his part.

Now…next time in the Gaiden Chronicles, we'll be looking at another individual who's the main character of their own story, several shades removed from the main story's main characters. Look out for it!


	4. Iron Justice

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 04 – Iron Justice**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place in Year 1 of the main story's 15-year time-skip before the finale.)_

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, from the outset of this trial, the prosecution has sought to present my client, the defendant, as a brute, a black-hearted individual who murdered his own wife without a shred of remorse," the defense attorney said to the twelve-member panel, his arms casually folded over his chest as he walked back and forth while speaking. "But as a jury, you have sworn an oath that you will judge this case based on the facts, and only the facts, as they have been brought before you in the evidence exhibits and the testimony of the witnesses who've been called to the stand these past five weeks. And what are the facts in this case? My client killed his wife, yes, and he never once tried to hide it, so that is not under dispute—what is also fact is that, contrary to what the prosecution has sought to convince you, it was not a cold-blooded act of premeditation, but a desperate act of self-defense."

The prosecutor, Kaneko Zeshin, a dark-skinned man with curly black hair and clad in a brown suit with a dark tie, sat at his designated table and lightly tapped the tip of his forefinger on the table's surface as he watched the defense attorney continue his closing arguments.

"You heard the evidence from our medical examiner, who told this court that my client sustained serious defensive wounds from his wife the day she was killed," the defense lawyer went on. "You heard the evidence from the two doctors, who testified that he had previously been treated by them for bruises, lacerations and other injuries sustained in fights. You heard the evidence from the police witnesses, who acknowledged that he had previously filed assault complaints against the deceased. You heard the evidence from the deceased woman's own father and sister, who both testified that she had attacked my client unprovoked on at least three separate occasions, and from her co-workers, who told this court that she had once tried to run my client over with her car. This is not the image of an innocent woman who died a senseless death at the hands of an abusive husband, as the prosecution would have you believe; this is the pattern of a woman who was prone to cruel behavior, and that my client killed her was merely his last-ditch effort to protect himself from her latest act of barbarism."

Zeshin allowed his eyes to drift briefly to the defendant, sitting in his place at his lawyer's table, wearing a resigned expression even as he watched the defense attorney's movements and listened to the continuation of the closing arguments.

"Should he have killed her? The law says absolutely not," the defense lawyer continued. "Should he have taken some other measure to deal with the problem he was faced with? Most of us would say, absolutely. But should he be condemned just because, in the heat of that moment, he lashed back at a bully who he happened to have married? That is for you to determine. And in your deliberations, all I ask of you is that, when you make your decision, you show mercy to my client—the mercy he was not shown, the mercy he was driven not to show because he had to think about preserving himself. It's all up to you."

The attorney turned and walked back to his table, sitting down confidently beside his client. All eyes in the courtroom now turned to Zeshin; he, in turn, carefully stood up, his own closing arguments on the tip of his tongue even as he replayed the conversation he'd held with the opposing counsel two months earlier...

 **OoOoO**

" _Look, why bother wasting time and resources going to trial? It's already been established from Day One that your client did it—he himself admitted to it in the Q-and-A session with the police," Zeshin said calmly, but with a slight edge in his voice, as he sat across the table from the defense lawyer and the defendant. "So, let's make this easy on everyone, eh? He pleads guilty to Murder One, and he gets the minimum sentence—25 years."_

 _The other lawyer scoffed. "How about this—he pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter, he gets 10 years."_

 _Zeshin's brow furrowed. "Your client stabbed his wife all over her body. Twenty-seven times."_

" _While they were fighting—and he's got the injuries to prove it," the defense lawyer said coolly. "Plus it wasn't the first time, nor was he the initial aggressor during this incident."_

" _That's only going off your client's word," said Zeshin. "The only other person at the scene who could tell us what happened one way or the other has already been put in a box and put in the ground, because of your client's actions."_

" _And my client had never gotten so much as a speeding ticket before all this," the other counsel pressed. "Plus he didn't try to flee the city—he turned himself in to the police."_

 _One corner of Zeshin's mouth curled downward. "Well, I can see neither one of us is going to budge. I guess I'll see you both at trial, then."_

 **OoOoO**

"As my friend said in his closing arguments just now, it's established that his client, the defendant, killed his wife—that's not under dispute," Zeshin addressed the jury. "What has been under dispute, however, is this—whether, as the defense has contended, that act of killing was an act of self-defense done in the spur of the moment, or, as the Crown has put forward, that it was an act of unparalleled and disproportionate brutality. So the other lawyer has said to examine the facts—so let's examine the facts."

He clasped his hands behind his back and walked from one end of the jury's bench to the other, talking as he strolled. "The coroner testified that the victim sustained twenty-seven stab-wounds all over her body, eleven of which were deep enough to be fatal. You have also heard audio-recorded evidence collected from the accused man's mobile-service provider from the night of the incident, in which it took him almost an hour after he stabbed his wife that many times to even attempt to call police or hospital services. And the police's records show that, yes, he turned himself in, but not until nearly twenty-four hours after he made that first phone call to say what he had done—and during that time in between, where was he? Taking refuge at his family's home six blocks away. Ladies and gentlemen, that's not the act of a man trying to take responsibility for what he's done—that's the act of a man who's afraid to come clean because he knows that what he did was wrong."

Zeshin glanced at the defendant; the man wasn't looking his way, but rather was keeping his eyes on the table, his face agitated, though of course he stayed silent. The defense attorney had his arms crossed over his chest as he eyed Zeshin like a hawk.

"Now, let's be real here," Zeshin went on. "Spousal abuse is a very bad thing to have happen, whether it's the man abusing the woman, or the woman abusing the man. And we're not trying to downplay the severity of whatever might have been happening in this defendant's life, whatever he might have had to endure from his wife. As a man, it would no doubt have been utterly humiliating to have to put up with that. But what was his response when she provoked him on this fateful night? He could have walked away. He could have gone elsewhere. He could have filed a report, like he'd done before. Or, if he felt he had to get physical to defend himself, he could have tried to hold her back, restrain her arms—he's six-feet-seven, and she was five-feet-eleven; he's 175 pounds, she was 151 pounds—big difference in size and weight, it could have happened that way, and our police expert on self-defense techniques testified as much. But what did he do? He grabbed a knife from the kitchen, a knife with a blade eight inches long, and..." Here he held up one arm and brought it down in a stabbing motion, several times in succession. "...stabbed her twenty-seven times, sending the blade right in to the hilt, not stopping until she was on the floor, bleeding all over, losing so much blood that no ambulance would have been able to get her to the hospital in time to save her even if they'd been called immediately afterward—which, as I just pointed out, didn't happen here."

Zeshin turned to face the jury fully. "I am asking you today...in the interest of justice...let your verdict be one of Guilty. Every crime, no matter what the reason for it, must be answered with accountability. This man did not show himself accountable for what he did, no matter how sympathetic his reasons might be. Today, I am asking you to change that. Let justice win. Let accountability win."

 **OoOoO**

Fifteen minutes later saw Zeshin sitting in the hallway, idly going back over the notes he'd made all throughout the trial. _Sheesh...not as open-and-shut a case as I'd first hoped it would be...if the jury's as sympathetic as I think they are, who knows what direction the case will go..._

 _ **Bzzzzzz! Bzzzzzz! Bzzzzz!**_

The vibration of his cell-phone in his pocket broke his train of thought, and he quickly pulled it out and looked at the caller-ID. "Uzuki Yugao...there's someone I haven't talked to in a while," he muttered as he pressed the button to accept the call. "Yes, hello?"

" _Hi, Zeshin,"_ Yugao's voice came on the other end of the line. _"Hope I haven't caught you at a bad time."_

"Not really...I'm on the tail end of a murder trial," Zeshin answered. "The jury went to deliberate fifteen minutes ago. It's been a pretty stressful five weeks."

" _The murder case where the guy stabbed his wife twenty-seven times and said it was self-defense?"_

"That's the one," Zeshin answered. "But anyway, you know we can't discuss the specifics of our cases until they're finished."

" _Well, it'll soon be finished anyway, right? As soon as the verdict comes in, all that'll be left is sentencing."_

"True enough." Zeshin waited. "So, anyway, what's new with you, Grape-hair?"

Yugao chuckled on the other end of the line. _"It's been ages since we passed the Bar exam together, and you still haven't gotten over calling me that, have you?"_

"Hey, not _my_ fault your hair looks like you dyed it with grape juice," Zeshin deadpanned.

" _Har, har, har. Well, to answer your question, I'm calling to ask a big legal favor."_

"Really? And what is so massive a legal matter that you can't swim with the sharks yourself, Grape-hair?"

" _...I've been asked to serve on a prosecutorial team for the upcoming commission of enquiry concerning the Futona Seigi scandal. And I've been instructed to find competent attorneys to serve with me."_ There was no humor in Yugao's voice now.

Zeshin's smirk slowly vanished. "And you want me to serve with you on that body."

" _Could you?"_

"Hmm..." Zeshin leaned back in his seat. "The fan's going to get really messy with this one, isn't it?"

" _I'm afraid so."_

Zeshin's brow furrowed. "Prosecuting politicians...it would be a first for me, I have to admit."

" _Same for me, Zeshin, but it has to get done. With the way LOVE blew this whole scandal out of the water when they held Parliament hostage last year, somebody's going to have to be held accountable for the mess that started all of this. And Gama Jiraiya isn't going to be the only one."_

"I'd expect that much. So...can I think about the offer and get back to you?"

" _Actually, I'll be passing through your neck of the woods this afternoon. Maybe we could make it a dinner meeting? You could get to meet the other lawyer I've approached for this endeavor."_

"Oh, so you have someone on your team already?" Zeshin sounded interested. "Anyone I know?"

" _Yeah, I think you should know him. Kato Dan."_

"...oh. THAT guy." Zeshin scowled. "The bleeding-heart defense attorney who does what he does to give defendants a 'fair shot,' as he calls it...and gives criminals a chance to escape due punishment. Just like he did with that Kyuushingai kid you were telling me about."

" _Cut Naruto-kun a break, would you?"_ Yugao sounded offended. _"That tribunal wasn't about whether he was guilty or not—everybody agrees he WAS guilty. It was just about whether to put him before an official trial by jury. And as it stands, he's doing his penance by working directly under Byakuren-sama."_

"You know, I'm actually surprised to hear you talking up for that fellow—you were the prosecutor in that little tribunal, weren't you?" asked Zeshin.

" _Yes, I was. And I accepted the judge's ruling when it came down. And then I got to know Naruto-kun better. He was a Kyuushingai, yes, but aside from that he's a good kid—he just made some bad choices, and right now he's paying for them."_

"Hmph. Well, since he's under direct government supervision now, I guess I can't complain too much...though given what the Nine Terrors did back then, I'd personally prefer if they had guys like your friend Naruto-kun under stricter guard," said Zeshin.

" _Well, look at it this way—if you serve on this team I'm getting together, you'll get to punish the people responsible for the existence of the Kyuushingai in the first place,"_ and Yugao let out a chuckle.

"And working with the enemy in the meantime. I'm not about to let a bleeding-heart like Kato Dan draw me over to the dark side," Zeshin scoffed.

" _Every lawyer has to take the risk that at some point they'll have to serve in a defense attorney's role even if they're part of the DA's office, or vice-versa."_ Yugao chuckled again. _"Or have you forgotten that time you got drafted to be defense attorney in the 'assault-by-tiger' case?"_

"Oh, whatever," Zeshin growled. "At least I WON that case."

" _Yeah, you did."_ There was a pause before Yugao went on. _"So...what do you say? Can we meet up later?"_

Zeshin bit his lip as he considered the invitation. "Ah, well, why not? It's been ages anyway, Grape-head."

" _Do you still go to that old deli in Ame Town?"_

"Religiously," and now Zeshin smiled. "7:00?"

" _7:00 it is."_

 **OoOoO**

Hours passed. Then 7:00 came, and it saw Zeshin, heavy overcoat covering his suit, walking into the designated meeting place, with a knapsack slung over one shoulder. As he stepped in through the deli's front door, he took a long whiff of the scent that permeated the place. "Whew…"

His dark eyes shifted left and right, missing nothing in the deli…and over in a far corner, he spied a familiar wave of purple hair, its owner sitting in a booth across from an even more familiar figure. Taking a deep breath, Zeshin walked over to the two diners. "Yugao-san…Kato-kun," he addressed them.

"Ah, great, you're here now, Zeshin," Yugao looked up and smiled at the newcomer. "Come, sit, sit. We've got much to discuss."

Zeshin slid into the booth next to Yugao, cocking an eyebrow at Dan as he did so. "So have you seen the error of your ways and decided to join the side of justice, Kato-kun?" he deadpanned.

"Nice to see you too, Zeshin-san," Dan replied with a straight face. "And you know as well as I do that justice doesn't only consist of prosecuting criminals…it also entails defending innocents."

"Well, I defend innocents too—by ensuring that the people who hurt them never get to hurt them again," Zeshin said starkly.

Dan scoffed. "You say that as if you've never prosecuted an innocent man or woman."

"There is no being in this world who is completely innocent, man or woman," Zeshin replied.

Yugao lightly clapped her hands. "All right, boys, now that we've established that the two of you are on extremely opposite sides of the legal spectrum, can we get to the matter at hand? Zeshin, I made the invitation to you when I called you today…have you had a chance to think about it?"

Zeshin's expression turned grave. "I have. And it didn't take me long to do." He nodded. "Sign me up."

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 04

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Another Gaiden chapter is done…and it sets the stage for the commission of enquiry into the events of the Futona Seigi scandal; that commission will be delved into in a later Gaiden chapter, though perhaps not in full detail.

Kaneko Zeshin, the prosecutor introduced in this chapter, is not an originally-made character. In canon, he was the first A, the first Raikage. And he will be making a presence in that future Gaiden chapter.

Another note—I had originally intended to go more in detail into the case Zeshin was prosecuting in this chapter, but given that I have actually covered court cases in the past, I can tell you that trials tend to be flat-out boring and can take AGES to start and finish, so instead I decided to focus on the lawyers' closing arguments, outlining it based on how I have seen it done in the _Law and Order_ franchise and also based on how I have seen the facts presented in real-life trials I have covered as a journalist.

Speaking of which, the case outlined in this chapter…you'll probably ask, what was the jury's verdict? Was the defendant found guilty of murder, or of manslaughter, or was he acquitted? Well, the point of this chapter was not to give a definite response to that; I have seen and heard of police procedurals (including the aforementioned _Law and Order_ ) that had episodes end before certain major revelations were made, resulting in the audience drawing its own conclusions. In like manner, I leave it up to you to decide what the defendant's fate in this chapter would probably be, based on the evidence presented by Zeshin and by the opposing defense counsel.

And while I'm still here, I want to address something else coming from the main story—the members of the Council of the Dawn and who among them would have been the strongest and the weakest. Considering a few major factors as shown in the main story itself, my personal list of the Council members' strength levels, from strongest to weakest, are as follows: **Gaara** (obviously, as the leader and a Kyuushingai); **Temari** and **Kankuro** (due to Temari saying Kankuro is the only one who could match her in a fight and Gaara being the only one who could defeat them both); **Matsuri** (due to being trained directly by Temari and also under Kankuro's and Gaara's supervision, and how she was able to restrain Yagura at one point when he attacked her in a rage); **Yagura** (he would have been immediately behind Gaara by virtue of being a Kyuushingai, but see the previous notes on the others before him, plus him being held off by Hinata and Neji when he assaulted the Hyuga mansion); **Darui** (it took the Ino-Shika-Cho combining their efforts to defeat him); **Yura** (he was able to overpower Karui and Shino in separate matches and gave Kakashi an even duel, though he couldn't defeat Shino's father Shibi); **Chojuro** (able to hold his own against Lee in both their fights); **Sumaru** (proficient with a handgun, able to briefly hold his own against Naruto); **Kurotsuchi** (over-relied on her flame-thrower and got knocked out in one hit by Naruto when he caught her off-guard); and **Menma** (never shown in physical combat, proficient with a handgun, got his knee shot out by Han and only really rose to a higher tier when he got the assault helicopter in the final arc).

So for those familiar with TV Tropes terminology, the Sorting Algorithm of Evil is subverted as far as the Council of the Dawn is concerned; Yura, the seventh-strongest of the eleven members, was the first Council member fought by any of the protagonists, in Chapter 131; Darui, who's in the exact middle of the totem pole at sixth-strongest among the eleven, was the second one fought, in Chapter 134; Chojuro, eighth-strongest and fourth-weakest, was fought third, in Chapter 146; Kurotsuchi, the second-weakest, was the fourth opponent in Chapters 156 and 157…in other words, there was ping-ponging as to who on the Council's totem pole was fought by a protagonist, and at what time.

Okay, now that that's out of the way…more Gaidens to come! Keep looking out for them…and for those who are likely to be affected by Hurricane Matthew or those who have already been affected at the time of this writing (September 30, 2016), please be safe!


	5. Obscurers, Part 1

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 05 – Obscurers, Part 1**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place over three time periods, two before the start of the 365 days and one during that period.)_

 **Seven years before the start of the 365 days.**

"You have put us in a very difficult position, Gama-san and Shimada-san."

Gama Jiraiya and Shimada Yachi sat very still in their chairs as they faced the government representatives, feeling the dark stares boring into their skins. Yachi kept her eyes firmly on her lap, where her hands were resting even as they balled into fists at the speaker's pronouncement. Jiraiya's hands were clasped in his lap, and his eyes were closed and his brow furrowed as he absorbed the censure.

Akahoshi, the purple-haired speaker at the head-table before which Jiraiya and Yachi were seated, intertwined his fingers under his chin as he fixed a glare on the duo before him. "We've enjoyed a cordial relationship with this foreign power for some time now; your blunder has put that cordial relationship in jeopardy. If the word gets out about what you have caused, we'll lose momentous benefits which our country badly needs at this time. As the Minister of Tourism, I have worked long and hard to establish our country as a competitive tourist destination, and I am now on the verge of signing a major trade agreement with two overseas travel agencies who want to set up offices on our shores. If they should hear about this little fiasco, we stand to lose significant foreign exchange investments."

Sitting next to Akahoshi was a fat woman with bright red lipstick on her mouth and purple eye-shadow over her eyelids; however, her brow was curved in a scowl, accompanied by the downward curl of the corners of her mouth. "Akahoshi-san, I'm afraid you don't go nearly far enough in outlining the ramifications of this disgraceful incident," she said.

"Don't worry, Shijimi-san, I haven't forgotten that you will also be affected by this, as Minister of Foreign Affairs," said Akahoshi. "Just the mere fact that this incident has happened will cast our country in a bad light in the eyes of foreign powers."

"Not merely casting a bad light—they will think we cannot keep a good handle on our government representatives, especially if those representatives are shown as unable to exercise good judgment when their senses are impaired by alcohol," Shijimi said venomously, and both Jiraiya and Yachi winced at her tone. "I am especially disappointed in you, Shimada-san; as our ambassador to this particular nation, I would've expected far better of you than what you've demonstrated."

"As am I in you, Gama-kun." This was said by a second man sitting next to Shijimi; he sported shoulder-length gray hair and a pointed gray goatee. "I would have hoped that my Permanent Secretary would have shown himself capable of better reasoning ability than this."

Jiraiya lowered his head a little. "I sincerely apologize, Ishikawa-sama."

"Saying 'sorry' won't cut it, Jiraiya-san—not here." This time the speaker was a younger man at the head-table, sporting long blond hair, and his eyes were narrowed into slits behind his square-framed glasses. "Foreign perception isn't the only thing we have to worry about. If our local public should get wind of this, it'll be just as big an embarrassment for us internally as it's bound to be externally. As the Minister of Information, this is going to be a serious pain for me to soften the effect of your blunder."

"How generous of you to assume something like this can be _softened,_ Jibachi-san," Akahoshi remarked.

"Pfft. It's his youth and inexperience in government that are talking here," Shijimi scoffed.

"I'll accept that as the compliment I know you didn't mean it as." Jibachi chuckled and pushed his glasses further up on his nose-bridge with his middle finger. "As it stands, everyone in this room is fully aware of how things will turn out if this gets out to the public. Long story short, the people will call the competency of our government and our subordinates into question, which will no doubt harm our chances for re-election come next year; and if our own people have no confidence in us, then neither will our international trading partners. Something will have to be done if we are to save face from early."

"And what, exactly, would you suggest to be done?" asked Ishikawa. "Our local media has already gotten wind of the fact that several members of our own military forces have been killed on foreign soil. The foreign press was all over it the moment the news of the bombing happened."

"But they don't know _all_ the details just yet—it only just happened last night, after all," Jibachi replied. "So we have time to think of something."

"Well, something has to be thought of fast—the Prime Minister is already asking for answers, the other government wants an explanation for why an explosion happened on a military base on their soil, and the media hounds won't stop until they get the answers they're looking for," Shijimi grumbled.

Jibachi's eyes were obscured by the shining tint of his glasses' lenses. "How long before we need to bring the report to the Prime Minister about what happened?"

Ishikawa glanced at his watch. "It's 9:00 in the morning now…the Prime Minster wants that report in time to make a public address by 6:00 this evening."

"And how many people know all the details of this situation, other than us?" Jibachi queried. "Gama-san, Shimada-san, how many people have you told about what happened?"

Jiraiya and Yachi gave the Information Minister questioning looks. "Well…I know I only told Ishikawa-sama, since he's my direct superior," said Jiraiya.

"And Shijimi-sama is the only person I told, since she's _my_ superior," said Yachi.

"And then we liaised, considered who in the different ministries would feel the most fallout from this, and then called you and Akahoshi-san," said Shijimi. "But what exactly are you getting at, Jibachi-san?"

"Okay, so…we're the only ones who know the full details of what happened…" Slowly a smile came over Jibachi's face. "Then that makes my job of damage control a little simpler."

"Out with it, Jibashi-san. What are you thinking?" Akahoshi demanded.

"Well…" Jibashi looked at his fellow ministers in turn, then at Jiraiya and Yachi, before he continued. "There have been numerous issues with terrorists in that country over the last few years. Their local media reports say that the various factions' leaders have been imprisoned or killed and the groups themselves have been largely quiet, but flare-ups of violence by a few splinter factions are not unheard of. And there _have_ been reports worldwide of members of the military stealing some of their own weaponry to sell on the black market to aid terrorists with whom they secretly sympathize…"

Ishikawa gave Jibachi a hard look. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"What exactly _is_ our youthful Information Minister suggesting?" asked Shijimi.

Akahoshi's eyes were overshadowed. "He's saying we should report that the soldiers who died last night were terrorist-sympathizers and that their deaths were the result of a terrorist operation…isn't that right?"

"You've hit the nail on the head, Akahoshi-san." Jibachi nodded. "It'll keep us from looking bad in the eyes of the public, it'll keep us from looking bad in the eyes of other nations, it'll safeguard our economic investments, and it'll handily explain how one of our rockets has mysteriously gone missing in case anyone from the military decides to do an inventory into what equipment went missing last night. And it'll provide a convenient scapegoat—well-thinking people always want to hear that criminal plots got foiled."

There was silence as the others eyeballed Jibachi for a long moment. Then, slowly, Ishikawa turned his gaze away. "Hmm…well…I can see the logic of your suggestion…"

Shijimi fingered her chin. "It _would_ provide the Prime Minister with plausible deniability about the nature of these soldiers' deaths…"

"And more importantly, it'll safeguard our trade and commerce agreements and help us maintain a good reputation in the international eye," said Akahoshi. "It's a good plan, Jibachi-san, if not foolproof."

"I have enough time until this evening to flesh it out and make it foolproof. I didn't spend ten years as a public relations agent prior to my appointment to this post for nothing, you know." Jibachi nodded. "The only thing I ask is that, once I have the story fully brought together, all of us must adhere to it, putting our own spin to it as necessary for our respective offices. The protection of our government's reputation and our hold on these potential trade agreements must be maintained."

"I admit, it is not a pleasant idea to think about, especially if we're going to scapegoat our own soldiers…but I suppose it wouldn't be the first time where service-men and women who'd been thought to be of sterling character were discovered to be less than stellar." Ishikawa nodded. "All right. I'm in."

"So am I," said Shijimi.

"And I, as well," said Akahoshi. "And as for these two over here…" He eyed Jiraiya and Yachi.

"Yes, Gama-san and Shimada-san," said Ishikawa. "You must also agree to go with this story Jibachi-san has proposed. It is for the good of our nation, and it will keep both of you from suffering the most direct embarrassment as well. Do you understand?"

Jiraiya took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. Then he fixed a look on the four ministers. "I understand, sirs and madam. As you say, the well-being of this country that we serve must be paramount. I am in your hands, then."

Shijimi turned her eyes on Yachi. "Shimada…?"

Yachi's eyes were overshadowed. Her hands were balled into fists in her lap. "No."

Jibachi cocked an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said no." Yachi abruptly stood up. "With all due respect, ministers, I cannot agree to what you are proposing. You're talking about framing innocent military personnel—our own military personnel, at that—for a crime that was never even committed."

Shijimi's brow creased. "I'm afraid you're not in a position to argue the point, Shimada. It was an error of judgment on your part and that of Gama-san that has led us to this point. You must now do your part and take responsibility for safeguarding the stability of our country."

"I will take responsibility—but not like this!" Yachi exclaimed. "Not by condemning innocent men and women to post-mortem infamy! Not by framing them for something they haven't done!"

"Remember who you are addressing, Shimada Yachi," Akahoshi said in a harsh tone.

Yachi glared at him. "I know _what_ I'm addressing—a cabal of conspirators. I will not have any part in this. I will resign my post as ambassador before I agree to such a scheme."

Jibachi folded his arms on top of the table. "You will resign? And then do what, pray tell? Will you go to the media and tell them what really happened? But if you do that, you'll be solely responsible for destroying public trust in our ability to control ourselves—and didn't all this happen because you and Gama-san got drunk and decided to, shall we say, relieve some of the tension in your loins?"

"…how dare you!" Yachi snapped.

"But it's the truth, isn't it?" Jibachi pressed. "Isn't it true that, while under the influence of alcohol, the two of you took a foolish decision to go and get 'busy' inside the weapons-control room of our military base where that rocket was launched from—and that it was because of the two of you that that rocket was launched to begin with?"

"It was an accident! Surely the public will understand that if we just explain it to them! Accidents happen!" Yachi protested.

"No. They will NOT understand. And neither will the people on whose soil the rocket was launched." Jibachi's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "Or were you not paying attention to what I and my fellow ministers were saying before now? This kind of international incident is the last thing we need hampering trade agreements with any other nation at this time, and we will be made the laughingstock of at least every country this side of the globe. At least this way, the blame gets shifted elsewhere, and nobody can contest what really happened. And it's quite the norm for terrorist groups to either claim responsibility for such incidents, or deny them—we can always cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Then cross that bridge without me, Minister." Yachi glared at Jibachi for a moment before shifting her gaze to Shijimi. "Madam, you will have my resignation on your desk by noon today. Good morning, everyone." Then she turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

"Shimada! Come back and sit back down!" Akahoshi yelled after her.

"Hmph…it'll be problematic if we cannot persuade her." Jibachi nodded at Jiraiya. "Gama-san…?"

Jiraiya nodded. "I understand. Please excuse me, then." And he stood up, bowed quickly to the four ministers, and then hurried out of the room.

 **OoOoO**

Yachi stalked toward her car, her face a mask of indignation. "How dare they do such a thing…!"

"Yachi-chan, wait!"

Turning, Yachi saw Jiraiya running out of the building, toward her. "What do you want?" she asked icily.

Jiraiya quickly caught up to her. "Yachi-chan…don't you think you're overreacting to this? At least try and see it from their point of view for a minute, would you?" he asked.

"I will do no such thing, _Gama-san,"_ said Yachi, pointedly emphasizing her formal use of his name. "I would sooner give up my position than sacrifice my principles."

"But you can't just go public with the truth of last night's incident." Jiraiya eyed her gravely. "Jibachi-san _is_ the Information Minister, after all. He'll just present a press release denying your version of events—and even without his influence, the news-stations will juice the most scandalous aspects out of the incident and vilify us both…you more than me, in fact, since you're the ambassador in this case and I'm already known for being, ah, flirtatious."

"And what the ministers have just proposed is the _better_ option?" Yachi spat.

"What good will it do you to defy the government you swore to serve?" Jiraiya countered.

Yachi's eyes narrowed. "When I accepted the post of ambassadorship, I swore to uphold my office with truth and dignity. What you are asking me to do exemplifies neither of those things. And I will not change that to suit anyone, not even the government itself." She turned her back on Jiraiya. "That is all I will say on this subject. Good day."

"Yachi-chan…" Jiraiya just stood there, watching as Yachi got into her car and sped off a moment later.

 **OoOoO**

The four government ministers eyed Jiraiya as he came back into the room. "You came back alone…I take it Shimada-san would not be convinced?" Ishikawa asked his permanent secretary.

Jiraiya bowed deeply at the waist. "I apologize most wholeheartedly, sirs and madam. Shimada-san has made it clear that she will not alter her stance, not even at your insistence."

Shijimi made a rude noise with her teeth. "Such an irritant…"

"Forget about her. If she tries to stir up trouble by revealing what really happened, she'll only end up throwing herself into the fire—who'll believe the words of a careless government representative who can't hold her liquor?" Jibachi replied. "As it stands, now…I must help the Prime Minister prepare that address to the nation later tonight."

"Yes. A group of traitors tried to assist terrorists, only to be killed themselves. And we are, as a result, in the clear." Akahoshi nodded. "Do as you will, then, Jibachi-san."

"Hmm." Jibachi nodded.

 **OoOoO**

 **Six years later, eight months before the start of the 365 days.**

 _Knock, knock, knock._

"Come in."

The bespectacled woman, clad in a black skirt-suit, entered the room at the invitiation. "Ishikawa-sama…the Tourism Minister, Akahoshi-sama, has arrived." Then she stepped to one side. "Please," she said with one arm making an inviting gesture.

A moment later, in came Akahoshi. "Ishikawa-san, I thank you for making the time to accommodate me."

"Indeed," Ishikawa nodded, before waving a hand at the secretary. "You may leave us, now."

The woman nodded once and exited the room, closing the door behind her. Ishikawa then gestured to one of the chairs before his desk. "Please, Akahoshi-san, make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you," and Akahoshi sat down.

"Were you offered any refreshments? I could arrange a drink for you," Ishikawa invited.

"Thank you, but no. I'd like to keep this meeting brief." Akahoshi nodded. "It has to do with…a certain training project that the Justice and National Security Ministries are embarking on. Jibachi-san was kind enough to inform me and Shijimi-san about it a short while ago."

"Yes…" Ishikawa leaned back in his chair. _"That_ project…in collaboration with Kira Enterprises, and with support from Hyuga Corporation and the Uchiha Zaibatsu…to take a carefully selected group of individuals from across the population and train them to become government agents, through the use of specially-developed technology. Only a select few in the government are aware of the project's existence."

Akahoshi crossed his arms over his chest in a relaxed manner. "Tell me…how well are these prospective recruits expected to be trained under this program?"

"To put it simply, any skill we want them to learn, they _will_ learn," Ishikawa answered.

"Hmm…" Akahoshi cocked an eyebrow. "Hypothetically…would such skills include tracking of enemies of our state…and dealing with them before they become giant-sized problems?"

Ishikawa's gaze narrowed. "Hypothetically…yes." He focused his gaze on Akahoshi. "Why? Is there someone you think these recruits should focus on, once their training is complete?"

"As a matter of fact…I do." Akahoshi nodded. "Without a doubt, there are some persons out there, locally and internationally, who would pose a considerable threat to our national security and governmental stability…but there's one in particular who's been largely off the radar for several years now…that person knows too much about how we were able to secure the foreign trade deals we've made since we all took _that_ decision back then. If that person should show up out of the blue now, all we've built in the last six years will come crumbling down."

Ishikawa's jaw tightened. "You're not content to follow Jibachi-san's recommendation to leave her be, even now, even after all this time after she quit back then…"

"We can't afford to leave anything to chance. As long as we know she's still out there somewhere, what we've managed to accomplish will be for nothing. There's too much risk in her coming forward and speaking about what we've done, and there's too much risk that someone will listen to her word over ours." Jibachi nodded once. "We cannot afford to have loose threads hanging around."

"Then permit us time to get these potential recruits prepared," said Ishikawa. "Once their training is complete, we'll give them a list of the most notorious domestic and international criminals, to be taken down."

"…and then this particular person's name can be conveniently slipped onto that list…" One corner of Akahoshi's mouth curled upward knowingly.

 **OoOoO**

 **Four months before the start of the 365 days.**

"ARE YOU INSANE?" Shijimi yelled into Ishikawa's face.

"Keep your voice down, woman!" Ishikawa hissed back at her.

"But still, you have to admit that she's right to react that way," said Jibachi, shaking his head in disapproval. "What the hell were you thinking, old man, drafting a known criminal like Yagura, the Mist City Butcher, into this training program of yours? Not to mention, two preteen boys—are you looking to create child soldiers out of them?"

"Come, on, now, aren't you being rather hasty in your assumptions?" asked Ishikawa. "On the one hand, if this program of ours can incorporate ten years' worth of specialized training into four months' time, isn't it reasonable to conclude that it can also be tweaked so as to rehabilitate a felon like Yagura? It'll certainly be cheaper than to feed the likes of him indefinitely in our prison system, as flawed as _that_ is already. And as for those two boys, what do you take me for—a fool? I'm not about to send children out in the field like that; even I still have some integrity!"

"Why am I not reassured?" Shijimi asked darkly.

Jibachi gritted his teeth. "There is NO way this is going to end well."

"Look…this training experiment will produce results that will improve our national security at least tenfold, guaranteed, so long as we conduct it the right way," Ishikawa said patiently. "Yagura will become a servant of the government, doing missions for us in exchange for not rotting away in prison. Those two young boys, they're young enough that they'll soak up the training like sponges, and we'll groom them until they come of age, and by then they'll likely be the best of the best among those we've pulled in. As for the others in our training pool, we'll make use of them in varying capacities as need be."

"That's being arrogant, isn't it?" asked Jibachi.

Ishikawa narrowed his gaze as he turned to look at the other government minister. "Not nearly as arrogant as agreeing to pin a bogus terrorism charge on a bunch of dead soldiers just to save your own skin and to secure economic deals with other countries, wouldn't you agree?"

"All right, all right…be that as it may…" Shijimi held up her hand to quell the fuss. "Ishikawa-san, can you at least guarantee us that this won't somehow come back to bite us?"

"All this will be for the good of our government and our country…just as _that_ decision we jointly made six years ago was for the good of our government and our country." Ishikawa nodded grimly. "Count on it."

 **OoOoO**

 **The first day of the 365 days, 7:00 a.m., seven hours after the initial incident.**

" _Ten persons are confirmed dead, and several others remain in hospital in critical condition, following a brutal attack on the New Year's celebration in the heart of Kumo City last night. Although details are sketchy at this time, eyewitness accounts have indicated that noted criminal Yagura, Mist City's Butcher of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, was involved in a fight with other persons that, unfortunately, resulted in the deaths of the ten residents and also significant property damage at the scene. More in this report…"_

Jiraiya, watching the morning news in his living room, gave the TV screen a grim look as the news footage played seconds later. _"Scores of Kumo City residents who had gathered in the city square for the New Year's midnight celebration were forced to scamper for cover when shots rang out, disrupting the festivity,"_ the reporter was saying. _"Though it is still not clear at this time what caused the ensuing stampede, or the reason for the gunfire, a number of residents this reporter spoke with asserted that Yagura, Mist City's most wanted criminal, was seen in the vicinity, engaged in a fight with other civilians. The scenes you are currently viewing on your screen were captured on one resident's smart-phone…"_

"…aie-yi-yi-yi-yi," Jiraiya whispered to himself. "What a mess…"

 _Rrrriiiiing! Rrrriiiiing! Rrrriiiiiing!_

Sighing, Jiraiya got up and walked over to his wall-mounted telephone, picking up the receiver. "Hello?"

" _Jiraiya-san, it's Jibachi,"_ the Information Minister's familiar voice came into his ear. _"Are you seeing the news just now?"_

"You mean that breaking-out of violence at last night's New Year's celebration in the middle of Kumo City?" Jiraiya asked. "Yes, I've seen it…ten people dead, others injured, and that maniac Yagura is at the heart of it…the security forces are going to have their hands full with this…"

" _It's worse than you think."_ Jibachi's voice was full of foreboding. _"There's been an outbreak of violence in several constituencies across the country since that incident last night. Apparently every major gang in every city and town has taken advantage of the panic from last night's attack, and there've been several gang-related beatings and shootings up to this point. Things are spiraling out of control now."_

"I see…" Jiraiya scowled. "Well…I predict the Prime Minister's going to be hitting the roof anytime now."

" _I'm on my way to Parliament right now,"_ Jibachi told him. _"Get over there ASAP so we can jointly figure out how we're going to spin this for the press."_

 **OoOoO**

" _In an emergency press conference called this morning, Information Minister Jibachi had this to say concerning the nationwide flare-up in gang violence stemming from last night's tragic shooting incident at Kumo City's midnight New Year's celebration…"_

An image of the blond-haired minister's face appeared on TV screens across the country as he spoke into the camera. _"The government acknowledges that, in collaboration with Kira Enterprises and with support from Hyuga Corporation and the Uchiha Zaibatsu, it undertook to train a group of individuals for national security service, using a special training regimen which, due to security protocols, must remain classified at this time. Unfortunately, one of those persons selected for training was a known criminal, Yagura of Mist City, who was selected by the government in the hope that the training would form part of a rehabilitation exercise for potential use with all inmates in our penal system, to place them in indentured service to the government in exchange for lighter prison sentences. While we are still conducting our investigations at this time, what has been confirmed so far is that Yagura was at the center of last night's horrible incident in Kumo City; and he and his fellow trainees have not been seen or heard from since. We strongly suspect, however, that due to the timing of these gang attacks across the nation, and due to the nature of these individuals' training, that some of them may well be behind the subsequent attacks, or have knowledge of them."_

The unseen reporter's voice spoke again. _"As to the identities of the government trainees in question, National Security Minister Byakuren expressed reluctance to name any names."_

Then the camera shifted to one side to show Minister Byakuren sitting next to Jibachi, looking extremely solemn. _"It is a fact that Yagura was selected as one of the trainees for this government program, in the hope that he could be rehabilitated,"_ Byakuren admitted. _"The others were selected from different areas of society; at least one was already in service to the security forces at the time of appointment to the program, and two were juveniles who were intended to be trained alongside their regular schooling until they would come of legal age to work for the government in this capacity. Because of this, we do not wish to identify them at this time; however, the National Security Ministry is working closely with the Justice Ministry and the Ministry of Defense in the Prime Minister's office, to retrieve these persons as swiftly as possible so that further loss of life can be prevented."_

 **OoOoO**

"So the good Prime Minister has called for a state of emergency to be implemented," Shijimi remarked hours later as she sat with her three fellow ministers at dinner in Akahoshi's dining room. "How long is it expected to last, though? Not too long, I hope?"

"It's been agreed that the state of emergency will focus on recovering the nine trainees and also on arresting every major criminal figure in charge of these gangs who're wreaking all this havoc," Ishikawa replied. "Hopefully in a few weeks at the most, everything will be back to some semblance of normalcy."

"A few weeks at the most?" Akahoshi cocked an eyebrow at that.

"Regrettably, yes…because we have to identify where all nine of the trainees, including Yagura, have gotten to since last night's incident," said Ishikawa.

"Pfft. A lot of good that'll do for our tourism interests," Akahoshi grumbled. "If the tourists are afraid to come here with all the violence going on, that means little to no foreign exchange coming in."

"Oh, they've already started—at least three countries have given travel advisories to their citizens about the situation going on here on our soil," Shijimi sighed.

Jibachi, in the act of cutting into a steak, set the knife down and briefly adjusted his glasses with one finger. "Well, damage control is part of our mandate as ministers when scandals break out that could affect our portfolios. All we have to do is keep the local and international uncertainty to an acceptable minimum, get these trainees back under our control and these gangs out of commission, and things should be just fine."

"You make it sound so simple, Jibachi-san," Ishikawa observed.

"Once you know how to deal with certain situations, they _are_ simple, good sir," Jibachi replied. "Case in point…all of us may have made our pact to keep silent about the true nature of the report concerning the, ahem, alleged weapons-smuggling soldiers, but official reports can only truly be effective if there is no tangible evidence to suggest anything other than what the Information Ministry approves, Which is why, for instance," here he directed a look at Shijimi, "there is no record of any e-mail correspondence from your former ambassador Shimada regarding her reasons for resigning, or any immediately accessible evidence that could tie _your_ Permanent Secretary," here he looked at Ishikawa, "to the events of that night when one too many glasses of wine and a raging boner led him to try getting lucky inside a missile-control room, in turn causing a tragedy that could've easily been avoided. Yes, we've all been willing to go with the official story, but just to be sure everything goes smoothly, there has to be a careful understanding of what information gets out to the public…and how much of even that."

Akahoshi fingered his drinking glass. "You've got your ministerial portfolio down to a science, it seems."

Jibachi took up his drinking glass and held it up. "And that, sir, is why I am the Information Minister. And to that, I will drink." And he put the glass to his lips and sipped his beverage.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 05

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: And so, in this Gaiden, we meet the government ministers with whom Jiraiya collaborated to frame Gaara's parents and their unit-members for terrorism, in order to cover up the true circumstances behind Jiraiya accidentally triggering the missile that killed the soldiers. Just a bit of background as to who they are, for those who don't recognize the names—in canon, Akahoshi was a filler villain of the Hidden Star Village arc and the self-appointed Hoshikage; Shijimi was the wife of the Fire daimyo, the fat lady who tasked Team Seven with retrieving her runaway cat; Ishikawa was the first Tsuchikage was a villainous ninja from the Kamizuru clan which hated the Aburame clan.

While this Gaiden chapter introduces them as Jiraiya's co-conspirators to cover up his scandalous mistake in the main story's back-story, this isn't the last time you'll hear anything about them—a future Gaiden chapter will explore further the ramifications and impact of their actions. But, for now, at least you know who to blame for the tragic back-story besides the obvious ones in the main story's timeline.

And addressing things in the real world…condolences and sympathies to those who have been affected by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, Cuba, and Florida.

More Gaidens coming up—stay tuned!


	6. Rogues Gallery

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 06 Rogues Gallery**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place inside the plot of the main story's comic-within-a-fanfic, Shadow Fox.")_

The dark-haired woman sat at a brightly-lit computer terminal in an otherwise empty room, scrolling through the information present on the screen. Her hair cascaded across her brow, neck and shoulders in a rather messy arrangement; just a few inches away from her on the desk, there rested a black fox-like mask which she d normally wear if she was out on patrol, but for the moment she d decided to let her face breathe a while as she perused the information on the computer. "Accounted for...accounted for...and accounted for," she murmured.

She heard a panel-door slide open some distance behind her, but she didn't turn around; only one other person besides herself knew the pass-code needed to open the door from the other side. "Akihiro," she spoke the newcomer's name.

"Hey, Michiko," Ashida Akihiro answered. "Since you're here, I'm guessing it's a slow night for crime-fighting?"

"More or less," Michiko answered. "I figured Koga Michiko should handle outstanding business or else risk going broke...being Shadow Fox isn't going to pay the bills. Luckily for me, being a barbecue-sauce sales rep has been pretty profitable these past few months, and you don't charge me for using the equipment you source for me from the police armory."

"Well, as long as you're using the stuff as it's designed to be used, I have no issue," Akihiro chuckled.

Shrugging, Michiko turned her attention back to the computer screen, while Akihiro pulled up a chair next to her. "Anything interesting happen at the precinct tonight, Officer Ashida?" she asked him.

"Yeah. The paint on the ceiling in the police armory dried faster than expected," Akihiro deadpanned. "Looking at whatever it is you're doing here has got to be the most exciting thing that's happened to me all day today."

Michiko glanced at him. "What I'm doing at the moment is updating the profiles of the special-case criminals I've had to contend with since I started my campaign. A colorful cast, they are."

"Yeah, some of them just don't know any better but to keep coming back for more," Akihiro commented. "I have to say, though, some of them have been pretty goofy to me."

"It's not a popularity contest," Michiko said firmly. "If you're a criminal, you're a criminal. End of story."

"Well, clearly some wouldn't agree with that sentiment," said Akihiro. "Like Mischief, for instance," he gestured to the image of the jester-themed criminal that was on the computer screen just then. "For him, your fights are just one big source of entertainment."

"Well, _he_ would think so...he treats life as just one big source of gags," Michiko grumbled. "But I guess that's what you get when you have a villain who used to work as a TV special-effects consultant."

"And he's not the only thrill-seeker in the lot." Akihiro pointed to another picture, this one depicting a man with spiky blond hair and clad in a brown sleeveless vest and a black dress-shirt underneath. "Take this guy here...Johnny Gamble, right?"

"A real pain in the ass, this one," said Michiko. "Stereotypical bored rich kid, raised in the lap of luxury, grown up with way too much time on his hands. With his knack for constantly being lucky at gambling, you'd think he'd put it to use winning at the tables legitimately...but nope, instead he had to develop a fixation for creating death-traps that give victims a small chance for escape. As if he's the guy from _Saw_ or something."

"The type who lives on the edge, betting outcomes on the toss of a coin, the roll of the dice, or the turn of a revolver in a game of Russian roulette," Akihiro noted. "So far he hasn't killed you or himself yet...and for that you can give thanks."

"Mmm-hmm." Michiko scrolled down further in the list. "Fortunately, those two are still in prison right now...as is this guy," and she pointed to a picture of a man clad in a black leather jacket and black jeans, with a teal-colored T-shirt sporting an odd cybernetic design, and teal-colored dress-shoes.

"Now _there's_ a pain if ever there was one." Akihiro cringed. "Datajack...cyber-hacker extraordinaire. Remember that time he held several Ministers of National Security across different countries hostage by threatening to empty out all of their bank accounts unless they met his demands?"

"Yeah, I remember," said Michiko. "And there was that time when he hacked into a number of cell-phone records, got wind of some, ahem, risqué pictures a few upper-class ladies had taken of themselves, and threatened to leak those pictures onto every major national network unless they paid him a pretty penny...plus there's the fact that he's developed a few pretty serious computer viruses here and there. He's often been hired by shady corporations to steal their competitors secrets and spy on their rivals for any means to ruin them."

"Well, good thing he's behind bars now," said Akihiro. "Although, say...what about her?" and he pointed to a picture of a dark-haired woman in a purple top, a black-and-purple skirt and black thigh-high boots, with a tank strapped to her back and a hose-and-nozzle equipped on one arm.

"Wildfire? She's still in the asylum, last I checked." A thoughtful look came over Michiko's face. "Honestly, concerning her...if I was ever going to feel sorry for anybody on this list, it would have to be her."

"Because of her back-story?" Akihiro wondered.

"Yeah...you should know about it from the precinct's files." Michiko shook her head. "Her father was a firefighter who, ah, loved her a little more than a father should love his daughter. She took to setting fires in various places in their hometown just so her father would be kept too busy to come home; then one day she just got fed up and set _him_ on fire instead. She got sent to a facility for troubled teens, but by that point she'd come to see fire as a source of comfort. These days, she's an arsonist-for-hire; that fuel-tank and arm-equipped nozzle you see there, she made that herself, and she uses a special chemical formula that makes her fire purple... it's her favorite color."

"I can't imagine why," Akihiro replied with a bit of sarcasm.

Michiko continued scrolling through the list, before stopping on the picture of a man in combat fatigues. "Here's Eagle Eye, a seriously tough guy to beat," she said. "Served two tours of duty in the military; exceptionally skilled as a tracker due to his good eyesight, hence his nickname. Nowadays, he works as a freelance assassin, with some serious hand-to-hand skills due to his training."

"Who's worse - him or Ricochet?" Akihiro queried.

"Hard to say, really," Michiko admitted. "Ricochet is an expert sniper, but sniping isn't his only strong suit; any gun in his hands is dangerous. He and Eagle Eye work together sometimes, since they did a stint in the same military unit at one point. Luckily, both of them are under lock-down now."

"Well, that's definitely good to know...less of a headache for us in the force," said Akihiro. "At least we can contend with some of the more mundane street-criminals...like Roundarm there..."

Michiko looked at the screen and saw that Akihiro was referencing a picture of a man in green-and-white baseball gear with a matching cap. "Oh, yeah...him. Another guy who could've used his skills productively if he'd been of an actual mind to."

"He used to be on the football team at Sogai City High School, but he got cut out because of unsportsmanlike conduct...he punched out a guy on the other team during a championship game," Akihiro recounted. "He didn't like that, so he took to systematically attacking everyone he thought had wronged him, and now he's the leader of a local gang made up of similarly-thuggish former athletes, a lot of them being former jocks from his high school crew."

"Roundarm likes to make use of sports-related gear as weapons; hockey sticks and pucks, cricket bats, baseballs as throwing weapons, plus he was on the high school wrestling team for a while too, so he knows how to handle himself in hand-to-hand combat." Michiko shook her head. "Guess you can take the sportsman off the field of play, but you can't take the field of play away from the sportsman."

"Yeah...oh, hey, look at this guy, I remember him!" Akihiro pointed to another picture, this one of a man in a red pinstripe shirt, a pair of trousers with a checker-colored pattern alternating between cyan and indigo, a necktie with the same color scheme as the pants, and a white fedora. "Silly Billy!"

Michiko looked at the man's picture. "He earned his nickname, all right," she said. "A contortionist who can bend his body parts at weird angles that makes him really unpredictable to fight, plus he's really good at taking hits. He used to work in a circus, but he felt he wasn't getting enough of a thrill from that, so he turned to crime to get bigger kicks."

"Doesn't he work with Mischief from time to time? I seem to remember the two of them tag-teamed you at one point," said Akihiro. "And the gadgets Mischief used...sausage-nunchakus, bombs shaped like apples, spring-loaded boxing gloves, razor-edged yoyos..."

"I'd rather not have to remember that embarrassing time, thank you," Michiko growled.

"At least that's not as embarrassing as having a guy like Decker Card for a regular villain," and Akihiro couldn't help but shake his head. "I mean, come on, a guy who's so obsessed with playing cards that he wears a white suit wth the ace of spades on the face-mask and uses weapons based on playing-card suits? That's corny, if you ask me."

"Well, there's no denying he's a deadly one. He actually use metallic playing cards with razor-sharp edges as weapons when he has to fight on his own," Michiko remarked. "And those are definitely not corny. They actually hurt. Trust me, I know."

She brought up another picture, this one depicting a spiky-haired man in dark sunglasses and a black leather jacket with yellow shoulder-pads. "Okay, here's a more straightforward criminal...Bonebreaker, leader of this city's toughest motorcycle gang. Frequently uses a chain, an iron pipe, and knives in personal combat; loves drag-racing; bullies people any time he feels like it; good at taking hits and good at dishing them out; can fly off the handle for any wrong done to him, real or perceived; will never back down from a fight; and has broken people's limbs because they insulted his mother. All in all, a dangerous sociopath."

"Well, at least he doesn't have a lot of brains to back up the brawn," said Akihiro. "Especially when compared to guys like THAT..." and he indicated a picture of a man sporting shoulder-length black hair with purple highlights at the ends, and clad in a black suit and tie with a large black coat over it.

"Minister Sorrow...allegedly refined, definitely a psycho," Michiko said darkly. "He used to work as a psychiatrist, but at some point the number of crazy and depressed cases he got just...well, they just got to him, and he developed a serious superiority complex that everything and everyone should be molded according to how _he_ thought the world should run. He's skilled at manipulation, twisting people's perceptions so that they'll be dependent on him, and he backs it up with drugs and serums that mess with your head."

"There was that time Minister Sorrow ran an underground movement where his followers were committing crimes for him," said Akihiro.

"And a few still do, because they see him as the only one who understands them. Personally, I think he's one of the most dangerous enemies I've ever had to face, precisely BECAUSE of how much he can twist your head with his words and his poisons," Michiko said gravely. "Let's hope he doesn't get out of prison for a really long time."

"Don't jinx yourself. Or have you forgotten that's how you wound up fighting Steel Fist the last time you two clashed?" Akihiro smirked.

Scowling, Michiko glanced at the screen...and there was the image of Steel Fist, a woman in a black outfit with steel-plated tips at the edge of her skirt, steel platings on her armbands and boots, and a steel headband. "Speak of the devil," she sighed. "A former member of an ancient fighting clan who got excommunicated from there when she betrayed their ideals and sold herself as a mercenary and assassin who could be bought at the highest bidder. I stopped her from killing one of her targets, and she's been obsessed with defeating me and reclaiming her 'lost honor' ever since."

"Losing honor implies that you actually had it to start with. Not that lady," Akihiro grunted.

Shrugging, Michiko went to the next picture, depicting a big-bodied man in blue denim jeans and sporting a broad-brimmed cowboy hat. "Here's the Buckaroo, a former rodeo champion who got cheated out of a major bronco-riding trophy because of a few jealous rivals, and he took revenge and killed them. Skilled at bull-riding, lasso-roping, gun-slinging and quick-drawing, and specializes in extremely difficult heists, which he carries out like your stereotypical cattle-rustler of the Wild West."

"I remember him. He's always been fun...for a rustler," said Akihiro.

"A 'fun' villain? Please." Michiko shook her head. "Well, at least these guys are all accounted for so far..."

Akihiro looked thoughtfully at the screen. "But there are still a few you haven't mentioned yet..."

"We'll soon see what the status of the rest of them is, don't worry," said Michiko. "Now let's see here..."

She resumed scrolling through the villains' pictures, soon coming to a man clad in a blue business suit with a matching tie...and covering the top half of his head was a yellow helmet-mask. "Second Sight...his whole gimmick surrounds the creation of hard-light constructs through that helmet of his," she remarked. "Plus he's also able to hypnotize people with a device that messes with your visual perceptions, combined with hypnotic music that he plays in select locations."

"Good thing his gimmicks require advance planning, so he's easy to beat," said Akihiro.

"But he always keeps coming back. Persistent little bugger," Michiko sighed as she went to the next villain's picture. "Okay, here's one of my least favorite enemies: Brutality. A former lawman gone bad."

Akihiro's expression soured. "Yeah...one of Sogai City's not-so-fine officers. That guy was always a problem...manhandling suspects and disregarding their rights."

Michiko looked on another criminal's photo. "Here we have Nitro-Frost...user of liquid nitrogen which he shoots out through a gun-nozzle strapped to a tank he carries on his back. One of these days somebody's going to smash that tank right on his person and he's going to wind up dead."

"Makes you wonder if these guys think their gimmicks through sometimes," said Akihiro. "At least this guy here," pointing to another criminal's picture further down on the screen, "knows a good gimmick...Mask Master, master of a thousand disguises."

"Yeah, he's given me way too much trouble in my career," Michiko acknowledged. "But like the rest, he's in jail where he belongs. Anyway, let's scroll down and see the rest..."

Michiko quickly scrolled down, bringing five more figures' pictures up on the screen. "Dr. Glass, Reflector, Panthera, Blitz and Terror King," Akihiro read their names out loud.

"The glass-obsessed scientist who's a major criminal genius; the guy who wears a bulletproof suit that can create a limited-range plasma-shield and that can also generate electricity for close-range combat; the woman who claims to be all about animal-rights while also utilizing animals in her crime sprees; the guy who uses an experimental body-suit and leg-bracers that increase his running speed and who also happens to be extremely good at parkour-style running; and the psychopath who kills because he gets a sick orgasmic rush from the fear he generates in his victims before butchering them." Michiko sighed. "Thankfully, none of them have been reported as having escaped custody."

"That's good to know," said Akihiro. "Well, that's 22 criminals listed who are accounted for...but..."

"But?" Michiko prompted.

"...where is _he?"_ Akihiro gave Michiko a knowing look. "Sakamoto Ryumaru..."

"...also known as Ghost Wolf," Michiko finished for him. "He's here..." and she scrolled down further on the monitor, showcasing the named villain below the previous five. "He's behind bars too. Where he belongs. Where he's going to stay for as long as I have anything to say about it."

Akihiro's eyes narrowed a little. "Mmm-hmm."

Michiko stood up and stretched. "Well...all in all, it's good that all of them are behind bars now. Now I can get a full night's sleep."

"Hey..." Akihiro got up and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You should get a full night's sleep on any given night anyway. The Sogai City cops can handle the line at least every now and then."

"...I guess so." Michiko turned and walked toward a cot off to the far side of the lair. "Too bad that can't be true 100 percent of the time, so there'd be no need for the likes of me."

Akihiro merely watched as Michiko went and lay down on the cot, unable to answer her rather cynical comment.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 06

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: I have to admit, even though Shadow Fox only exists as a fictional character within the _Kitsune no Ken_ universe, for me she's become something of a main character in this overall universe all on her own. I think the diversity of her rogues' gallery has something to do with it, too.

A point of trivia: Originally, this chapter was going to introduce Shadow Fox's contemporary Raposa, who has been mentioned in the main universe by Gaara on one occasion; and a number of the new enemies outlined in this chapter would have been members of Raposa's own rogues' gallery. Ultimately, however, I decided to just include the new rogues as members of Shadow Fox's own gallery, outlining their abilities and motivations, as well as fleshing out the motivations of the rogues who were already introduced in Chapter 200 of the main story.

It also bears mentioning, for those familiar with our real-world comic books, that most if not all of Shadow Fox's enemies, especially as outlined here in this chapter, are based on established super-villains in comic book history. Just for a few examples, Roundarm is based on Sportsmaster; Silly Billy, on the Rag Doll; Wildfire is a female combination of Heatwave and Firefly; Johnny Gamble is based on the Gambler, a Golden-Age villain; and Decker Card is a one-man version of the Royal Flush Gang, while Second Sight has a bit of Mirror Master (hard-light holograms) with a dash of the DCAU Spellbinder thrown in the mix. And, of course, Mischief is an expy of the Joker.

I also have it in mind to write a scene detailing the end of Shadow Fox's confrontation with Ghost Wolf as was given in Chapter 200 of the main story, as well as the _Naruto_ cast's reactions to it. When will it come? Just be patient.


	7. Veil

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 07 Veil**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place between Year 1 and Year 2 of the main story s 15-year time-skip before the finale.)_

 _Knock-knock-knock. "_ Yugito-san, are you nearly ready? The service starts in another half-hour."

"Just about...I m still trying to get used to how this outfit feels. At least now I can walk without tripping on the skirt that s a plus, right?"

"Do you need me to come in and help you with anything?"

"Thanks, Hinata I d really appreciate it."

"All right, then, I m coming in..." and in Hinata came. "Well...you certainly picked the right outfit for this occasion, Yugito-san," she remarked.

"Oh, it wasn't _all_ me. I had help, remember, little mouse?" Yugito gave her younger friend a knowing smirk. "You, and Sakura-san, and Ino-san, and even Tenten-san and Karui-san helped out too."

"Just as you helped us to settle the disputes over what _we_ were going to wear for today," said Hinata.

"But of course. I'm the designated big sister. It's what I m supposed to do, right?" said Yugito.

Hinata looked Yugito up and down...and then her gray eyes rested squarely on Yugito's chest. Yugito noticed the look. "See something you like, dear?" she teased.

"Yugito-san! You're as bad as ever!" Hinata blushed. "The thing is, won't you stand out too much with a bust-line like what you're sporting?"

"I'd think the _point_ of this dress is for me to stand out, Hinata," said Yugito.

"Ah, yes. How silly of me. Because Nii Yugito is as shameless about her body as ever." Hinata shook her head. "But still..."

"Yes?" Yugito looked at her expectantly.

Hinata took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Today's really a special day, Yugito-san. After everything that has happened...everything we've all gone through...it's like today is a major reward for all of that experience."

Yugito's eyes softened. "A reward, huh..."

"Yes...a reward." And Hinata smiled at her friend. "For all of us to be able to share the reward together...me, you, the girls, the boys...I'm really happy. I'm happy we can be in this together...a happy occasion, together, all of us..."

"Oi, oi, Hinata. Don't go all emotional on me now before we've even reached the venue." Yugito crossed over to the dark-haired girl and gently held her shoulders. "Let's just enjoy the time together, okay? It's supposed to be a fun time, formal-wear aside."

Hinata chuckled a little. "Yeah...you re right." She smiled more broadly. "So, let's get you finished up in your outfit, shall we?"

 **OoOoO**

"Aw, geez, I swear, I HATE this kind of ritzy dressing!" Naruto complained loudly as he stood in front of a mirror and vainly tried to adjust his bow-tie.

"Stop complaining like a little bitch and suck it up, _dobe,"_ Sasuke, standing a few feet away from him, grunted in response. "It's not like you're being made to wear that suit for the rest of your natural life. It's just for a few hours at a formal event. Sheesh, if you didn't have Kushina-san for your mother, I'd swear you were raised with no class."

"My mom? Classy? Oh, please." Naruto made a face. "That's the woman who cosplays as a comic-book vigilante, for crying out loud. Do you want to know how many Shadow Fox variant costumes she's got in her closet?"

"Well, Naruto, I have to agree with you about these suits...wearing them is such a pain," said Shikamaru, standing near the door as he fidgeted with his own bow-tie.

Shino, casually adjusting his suit-jacket, shook his head. "If you are going to attend a formal event, which you ARE, then the logical thing is to dress formally. Anything less than that would be considered social sacrilege."

The door to the parlor opened just then, and in walked Itachi, clad in a white tuxedo. "I couldn't help hearing you guys complaining about the suits from a distance," he remarked. "Need I remind you that the Uchiha Zaibatsu is paying for your formalwear for today's event?"

"Even if you say that, I still feel like I'm being stifled in this getup," Naruto said crossly.

"Well, I'm sorry, but you'll just have to deal with it for the next two hours or so," said Itachi. "And the sooner we head out, the sooner you'll be able to get into something more comfortable to your tastes. The service begins in twenty minutes, and it won't make us look good if we're late."

"Sigh...well, let's get this show on the road, I guess," said Shikamaru.

 **OoOoO**

The church was slowly filling up, with attendees coming in the front doors in droves. Approaching the doors in the midst of the crowd, Tsunade looked around. "Hmm...I know this is a by-invitation event, but still..." she muttered to herself. "Ah, well, such things do happen."

Suddenly the mayor's eye caught a different sight: Inuzuka Tsume, standing off to one side and wearing a scowl that belied the formal blue dress she was wearing. "Ah, Tsume," Tsunade greeted her. "Why so serious?"

Tsume gave her a look. "Seriously? Has Nolan's work become so memetic?"

Tsunade put up her hands in surrender. "Ouch."

"...sorry, Mayor." Tsume shook her head and looked away. "I just don't do well at events like this."

"Oh?" Tsunade cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "Afraid of dressing up all girly-like? Is Inuzuka Tsume too tough-as-nails to wear dresses?"

"Formal events on a whole, I can deal with," Tsume said coolly. "It's events like _this,"_ she waved her hand disdainfully toward the church building, "that I can't cope with." She sighed. "Because of my ex-husband."

Tsunade s eyebrows shot up. "Your ex-husband?"

"Mmm-hmm." Tsume nodded. "Look, today's supposed to be a nice day, and I don't want to spoil it. Can we maybe talk about this after?"

"Well, you certainly look like you could get some heavy stuff off your chest..." Tsunade considered. "All right. After the main event here is done, what say we hit the bar?"

"I think I could definitely do with a drink," Tsume admitted. "But my daughter Hana has appointed herself my personal chaperone where the bar's concerned," and she motioned to one of the church pews closest to the front door, where Hana could be seen watching her mother keenly.

"I see," said Tsunade. "Say, you wouldn't mind if I sit with your family, would you?"

"You're certainly welcome to join us, Mayor," said Tsume. "I'll be inside in a bit...reluctantly, might I add."

Nodding, Tsunade made her way inside the church and sat down next to Hana. "Hey there, Hana," she greeted the younger woman. "Your mother tells me you're acting as a sobriety officer for her?"

Hana, in turn, shook her head. "Anytime we go to functions like this, Mom tends to endanger the bar."

Tsunade glanced back toward the doors, saw that Tsume was still standing on the outside, and then turned back to Hana. "Pardon my inquisitiveness, but, um...your mother mentioned that it's got something to do with her ex-husband...?"

Hana made a disgusted noise with her teeth. "Oh, Dad? Sigh...he bailed on us when I was 10 and my brother Kiba was five. Mom's never really gotten over it ever since then."

"...oh. Well. Awkward." Tsunade bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Hana said quietly. "These kinds of events always remind Mom of him, and anytime she goes to one of these, she winds up getting blackout drunk. I'd rather not have a repeat performance this time."

"Tell you what..." Tsunade smiled a little. "How'd you like for me to be your wingman in making your mom stay on the wagon?"

"Hmm?" Hana cocked an eyebrow. "How do you mean?"

"I mean, I'd already invited Tsume to join me at the bar after this is over...but instead of anything alcoholic, I'll make sure she drinks only ginger ale." Tsunade chuckled. "We may be of different roles in Konoha Town's administration, but professional duties aside, I'd like to think she's someone I'd consider a friend. And you do care about your mother's well-being, and I respect that. Besides, it wouldn't go over well if Konoha Town's police chief gets into trouble for creating a scene while drunk, right?"

"...now THAT type of scandal, I can do without." Hana shivered. "Your offer of help is accepted, Mayor."

"Splendid!" Tsunade nodded...and then looked around. "Hmm, by the way, where's your brother? Didn't he come with you?"

"Oh, he's here, taking direct part in the service," said Hana. "See, there he is, off to the side..."

 **OoOoO**

As they waited in the wings for what they were appointed to do, Naruto nudged Kiba. "Oi, Kiba, isn't that old lady Tsunade sitting next to your sister over there?" he whispered.

Kiba looked to where his sister was seated. "Yeah, that's Mayor Tsunade next to Hana, all right. So?"

Naruto grinned. "Your sister's the only one in all of Konoha Town who can give the mayor the finger and get away with it."

"Grr...that joke wasn't funny the first time you came up with it, and it's STILL not funny now!" Kiba hissed.

"C'mon, you guys, would you cut it out?" Sasuke scolded them. "Look alive; the service is going to start."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto grudgingly acquiesced, only now taking a moment to survey the group they were part of: himself, Kiba, Sasuke, Shikamaru and Shino all wearing matching red tuxedos with white roses pinned on the left side of their vests; and on the other side of the church from them were Hinata, Ino, Sakura, Tenten and Karui, all wearing matching blue sleeveless gowns with white corsages. "Well, the girls look ready to do their thing," he muttered. "Time to put on my best smile..."

"Good afternoon, everyone," a deep, commanding voice reverberated throughout the church as the officiating minister - even with the distance between them, Naruto could immediately recognize the man as Han - spoke into the podium's microphone. "I'm asking the congregation please to be seated; the procession will begin in a few minutes, so we'd like for there to be as little movement about as possible at this time, and for everything to be done in aorderly fashion, thank you."

It took only a minute, but those who were milling about soon found seats, and in a little while the church was quiet save for a slight hum of subdued chatter here and there.

"Thank you very much. Now...I invite the congregation to stand at this time," Han directed, and he smiled as everyone complied. Then he turned to look behind him, where a large pipe-organ stood, with its musician - Akimichi Choza, he remembered the man's name as - waiting expectantly, and the minister gave him a brief nod.

"Yosh...!" Choza whispered as he turned to the pipe-organ and placed his hands on the keys.

A moment later, the church was filled with the echoes of the organ's notes...then, as everyone watched, from the church's front entrance came Itachi, with his father Fugaku and his mother Mikoto on either side, all walking uniformly up the aisle to the very front row, to which Itachi directed his parents before going up to the altar himself and turning to face the congregation.

The last few strains of the music died away; then Choza began playing a different tune. "There's our cue," Sasuke whispered. "Let's go, guys."

He stepped out first, with Sakura also stepping out and coming toward him. They joined arms together and marched in uniform step up the aisle; behind them, Naruto and Hinata acted likewise; then Shikamaru and Ino; then Shino and Karui; and Kiba and Tenten took up the rear. The five pairings made their way up to the front, with the boys going to the right of the altar and the girls taking their position on the left.

Again the music died away. Then Choza began playing something different, and yet a very familiar tune to the ears of all present:

 _Here comes the bride._

And then...coming from outside the front door, coming up the aisle, were Hinata's sister Hanabi and her friend Udon, she carefully scattering rose petals along the aisle and he bearing a velvet couch on which rested two rings. Behind them came Naruto's father Minato, dressed in a crisp-looking brown tuxedo and looking very pleased. And...on his arm was Yugito, wearing a snow-white sleeveless dress and a veil that covered the top half of her face and whose train went all the way down her back, its tail carried behind her by an equally-smiling Kushina.

"Yugito-san..." Hinata whispered tremulously on seeing the white-clad woman.

Itachi took a deep breath as he beheld the beautiful vision walking toward the altar. _Yugito..._

Hanabi and Udon reached the altar first, walking up the steps to take their place a little distance behind Han's post. Minato and Yugito carefully walked up the steps, Kushina still holding the tail end of Yugito's veil behind them, and the former two soon stopped in front of Itachi. Yugito turned to look at Minato. "Minato-sama..." Her voice was much softer than she'd intended. "My own father and mother aren't alive to see this day...but thank you for being the one to give me away."

Minato gently cupped one of her cheeks with his free palm. "Thank _you_ for letting me have the honor, Yugito."

Gently putting Yugito's veil-train down, Kushina took a step back and beamed, blinking rapidly to fight back the tears. "Oh, Yugito..." and she nodded as Minato now handed Yugito over to Itachi, then turned and walked back down the steps toward her and offered his arm; she silently took it and let him lead her over to where Fugaku and Mikoto were standing in their designated bench.

"The congregation may be seated," Han announced, and everyone in the pews sat down. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bear witness to the joining together in holy matrimony, of this man, Uchiha Itachi, and this woman, Nii Yugito..."

 **OoOoO**

Sitting in one of the middle pews, Hyuga Hiashi nudged his seat-mate, Dr. Haruno. "You know, doctor, to be honest, I'm still surprised that that man Han was an officiating minister...and that they allowed him to keep his credentials following that tribunal he underwent for being one of the Kyuushingai."

"Well, he had a few things in his favor that time," Dr. Haruno shrugged. "There was the support of his parishioners, plus my character testimony, and his own early submission to the government prosecution; all being told, he got a lenient sentence from them. A few years' probation isn't that rough."

"Mmm-hmm." Hiashi nodded.

 **OoOoO**

"...the couple has prepared their own unique vows, which they will now give in the sight of God and man." Han nodded at Itachi. "Itachi, you first."

"Thank you, sir." Itachi turned to look at Yugito. "Yugito...I know I've annoyed you and been a general pain, in all the time we've known each other...but even in spite of all that, you kept putting up with me. That's so much more than I deserve. And besides which, you're strong, you're wise, you're kind, you re honest, and you think of others before yourself. And you've put a lot of faith in me, with everything we've gone through together...and I promise, this day and always, that I will do my utmost best to make sure your faith is rewarded. I want to give you my full 100 percent...and then I want to give you more. I will do everything that I'm capable of so that you will be proud that I'm your husband. Today, I give myself to you, wholly to you, nothing held back and nothing hidden, and that will be my constant gift to you, every day that we're together, every day that we will live."

Han nodded to Yugito, who in turn took a deep breath and looked intently into Itachi's face. "Itachi," Yugito spoke, "there aren't enough words that I could say to express how much appreciation I have for you. You've been there for me, in my ups and downs; you've listened when I needed someone to listen...you've even risked your life to defend mine. As for me, well, there's so much that I've undergone that I can't undo...but you looked beyond that and looked at me for who I could be and still can be. When I was at my most vulnerable, you cradled me...and I want to have you near me always, to be my anchor, my compass, my world. I pledge to you, now and forever, that you will always be happy to have me as your wife. I put myself in your hands, and offer all I have to you, and only you, for as long as both of us will live."

The two looked at Han, who nodded to them both. "Thank you, both of you," he said. "Now, if we may have the rings...?"

Udon carefully stepped forward and held up the velvet cushion with the rings atop it. "All right," said Han. "Now, Itachi and Yugito, you will each take one of these rings and place it on your betrothed's finger, as a physical emblem of the commitment you are both making this day before heaven and before this congregation."

Itachi took one ring from the cushion and gently took Yugito's offered left hand, sliding the ring on her third finger; then Yugito followed suit with the other ring, sliding it on the third finger of Itachi's left hand. As they did so, Han continued speaking.

"I take Nii Yugito as my lawfully wedded wife. I take Uchiha Itachi as my lawfully wedded husband. Marriage is a divinely-inspired institution, blessed of heaven, and may no other party, man or woman, come in between you; may this bond never be severed except by death. Honor the commitment and pledge you have both given this day, and may all here witnessing this event bear witness to the truth of your promises to each other and to all of us. Now, if you will come and sign the certificate..."

Everyone watched as, one after the other, Itachi and then Yugito stepped up next to Han and gave the needed signatures on the document as instructed.

"And with that, everyone..." Han paused for deliberate dramatic effect. "I present to you, this day, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Yugito, joined in holy matrimony as husband and wife!" He looked at the two. "Sir, take your bride! Madam, claim your husband!"

And the cheers and applause thundered and echoed throughout the church as Itachi and Yugito caught hold of each other and exchanged what Hatake Kakashi would later describe as "the hottest French kiss to put even _Icha Icha Paradise_ to shame."

 **OoOoO**

"Okay, ladies, you know how it goes..." Yugito said much later, her back to all the women in the crowd as she stood on the front steps of the Hyuga mansion and held the bouquet in her hands. "One...two...THREE!" and she threw her arms up and sent the flowers sailing high up and away from her person.

"It's coming my way!" Ino cried.

"You're too young! Get lost!" Terumi Mei snapped.

"Don't be jealous, you old virgin!" Ozaki Haruna mocked her teacher.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Mei asked threateningly.

The bouquet descended rapidly...

"Ah! It got caught!" Hinata announced.

"And the winner is..." Yuuhi Kurenai began.

All the ladies looked to see who had caught the bouquet: Nohara Rin, not there now as a reporter, but as a guest in her best dress. "Uh...me?" she asked, a blush appearing on her face.

"Ooooh! So you'll marry sometime soon! Just like the folklore says!" Sakura grinned at her.

"Really? I will?" Rin blushed some more.

 **OoOoO**

"Not that I mind or anything, but...why are we doing this, again?" Yugito questioned as Itachi carefully slid her garter down her leg, while several of the male guests watched in anticipation.

"Because Minato-sama said it was tradition, and also because Naruto-kun said Suigetsu-kun would sulk for a month if we didn't agree to this," Itachi said casually.

Yugito rolled her eyes. "Methinks I need to have a long chat with those guys about what really motivated them to insist on this. Also, remind me to add a mallet when I give Hinata this dress for her eventual wedding to Naruto."

"A mallet?" Itachi asked as he finally slid the garter off.

"Yes. Because as much as I love Naruto, he needs an occasional conking for when he's acted stupid," Yugito declared.

"I see. I'll keep that in mind." Itachi turned to the men. "Guys...?" and with a grand flourish he let the garter fly.

Suigetsu immediately began the stampede. "That sweetheart's MINE!" he shouted.

"Watch it, runt! You're 100 years too early!" Shiranui Genma snapped. "P.E. teacher coming through!"

"As if I'm going to lose to YOU guys!" Naruto yelled.

The garter got lost in the midst of the crowd as the men pushed, shoved, stomped on, and outright fought with each other to claim it...and a certain silver-haired man wearing a dust-mask calmly walked out of the throng, dusted off his tuxedo, and twirled the garter around on his index finger. "Can't touch this," he intoned.

Neji was the first to notice. "Wha - oi, oi, Kakashi-sensei got it!"

"NOOOOO!" every other male in the crowd screamed in despair.

Yugito face-palmed. "I'm definitely having that chat with those men after all this is over."

 **OoOoO**

The Hyuga mansion's front lawn was well-occupied with dancing couples for the next hour or so. Itachi and Yugito were the center of attention, of course, though they didn't dance exclusively with each other; Yugito got to share a number with Minato as part of his temporary "father of the bride" role, plus she also got to dance with her new father-in-law Fugaku, and Itachi himself did the "mother of the groom" number with his mother Mikoto, and a short one with Hinata at Yugito's suggestion.

Neji, Suigetsu and Jugo found themselves in an unlikely team-up to keep Rock Lee and Suigetsu's father Gengetsu as far away from the bar as possible. The less said about that, the better.

Hiashi and Fugaku got into rather rowdy competition over which of them had brought the better wedding present.

Hana and Tsunade succeeded in keeping Tsume sober, but they both discovered too late that it would be wiser in future not to let Tsume do any sort of wedding toast, even if it was with a glass of ginger ale. "And if your new hubby decides that he needs to get himself a new model of woman with curvier assets, just make sure you come to me, and I'll give you a link to a guy I know..." was as far as Tsume's speech had gotten before the embarrassed daughter and mayor sought to swiftly usher her away, while everyone else present just smiled and nodded for the sake of politeness.

Naruto got Hinata into an impromptu tango number, of course with much incognito help from manservant Kabuto at the deejay table, to the scandalized irritation of Hiashi and the awed wonder of everyone else not named Itachi and Yugito.

Kurenai and Genma spent the rest of the reception teasing Kakashi and Rin about their being the next ones to marry.

When Karui wasn't busy doing a musical request for the guests with her violin, she was sitting at a table with the ever-stoic Shino, though a watchful observer would have noted that Shino seemed a little less stoic in her company.

Kushina had to chase Choji away from the kitchen three times when he tried to sneak extra food from there...although she, let the truth be known, had quietly sneaked a few extra slices of wedding cake into a bag when nobody was looking, even though she had baked the cake and could easily have baked another one at her own leisure if she'd really wanted to.

And at the end of it all, when Itachi and Yugito finally got spirited away to the Samsara Hotel for some quality time, it was soon proven that being a virgin did NOT mean being completely in the dark about certain things, as Itachi was soon to find out about his new wife.

"Uh, Yugito, dear...are those what I think those are...? And what's _that_ thing for...? And what the hell is THAT?"

And the next morning, the hotel's management gave complimentary meal passes as an apology to anyone whose sleep had been unduly disrupted by the noise coming from the penthouse suite the night before...though only one guest actually took up the hotel on that offer, the rest having been too, ahem, _inspired_ by the new couple's sounds to make any formal complaints.

All in all, the wedding, reception _and_ union consummation were a complete success.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 07

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Today's my birthday, and it's the second-to-last day of 2016, and so I've decided to give myself a present, and by extension a present to all of you who have been reading this saga: Itachi and Yugito tying the knot. Congratulations all round, and yes, you're welcome.

Now, this whole wedding chapter was inspired by a certain _X-Men_ comic I had back in the day, which outlined Scott and Jean's wedding from start to finish. In particular, the scene where Kakashi suavely snags the garter like a boss was inspired by a scene from that comic where Gambit did the same thing, only he blew up the other male guests to get his hands on Jean's garter. Yeah.

FYI, Itachi's last line up there was one I had always wanted to incorporate somehow into the story, although in the early planning stage, it was intended to be a line spoken by Naruto once he and Hinata should finally get married; the idea was that Yugito's naughty nature would've rubbed off on Hinata.

No pun intended there, perverts.

And no, I am not going to say what Itachi was making reference to in his question. Fill in the blanks yourselves.

On a completely separate note, I will use this opportunity to address a few other pairings as had been outlined in both this Gaiden chapter and the main fic. Obviously, we have Naruto x Hinata, Sasuke x Sakura, Kakashi x Rin, and Idate x Hana becoming married couples, as according to the final chapter of the main story; as to one other particular pairing, Shino x Karui, I do believe I will address that in a later Gaiden chapter. If there are any other pairings you have questions about, feel free to ask.

And yes, minor character Haruna has been given the surname Ozaki in this combined story, as you would've seen if you saw the main story's final chapter. This won't be the last you'll see of her or of her other friends, either.

More Gaiden chapters to come! Stay tuned! And Happy 2017 the moment it comes!


	8. Creator's Inspiration

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 08 – Creator's Inspiration**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place in Year 8 of the main story's 15-year time-skip before the finale.)_

"So, Shadow Fox, we meet again," the blond-haired man in the white wolf-styled mask sneered at the dark-haired woman standing meters away from him in the room where she'd just entered and where he was casually sitting on a large velvet couch. "I'm glad to see you actually managed to beat back the punks of my gang. At least now I'll get to experience your death up close and personal."

The woman, wearing a black fox-styled mask that complimented the rest of her black outfit, glared at him. "It doesn't matter how many people you throw at me, Ghost Wolf," she declared, clenching her fists. "I'll still make sure you go back behind bars where you belong."

"Oh, I'm SO scared," the masked man said sarcastically. "Well, my dear little Fox, you might've managed to take down those useless street hoods of mine...but I'm not so sure you'll do so well against THIS bunch..." and here he put his fingers to his mouth and let out a sharp whistle.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! Several sliding noises broke out around them, and the woman started...and then she gritted her teeth as, from four doorways that had just opened up, four figures stepped into the room.

"I'm sure you've met my associates on past occasions, Fox," her adversary addressed her, "but just to make a few reintroductions: we have Minister Sorrow..." and here he pointed to one of the four, a lean-figured older man in a black trench-coat with a black pallbearer's suit underneath, and he bore a vicious-looking two-edged sword in his hand.

"Brutality..." indicating the second arrival, a man clad in a red leather jacket, black jeans and boots, red leather shin-guards and arm-guards, bearing a Desert Eagle pistol in each hand and a murderous gleam in his eye.

"Wildfire..." pointing to the lone female of the group, who was wearing a black-and-purple outfit and sporting a nozzle on arm that was attached to a tank on her back.

"And let's not forget our friend Mischief," pointing to the last individual, the infamous blue-and-white jester-clad criminal with a sinister smile borne on his mask.

"And we are the Hand of Crime," the speaker continued, getting up from his seat. "And this hand is going to squash you like the pest you are. So...say your prayers, Fox."

"Aaaaaaaand CUT!" 

The six figures all relaxed, even as off to one side, the camera and lighting crew stepped away from or carefully put down or shut off their equipment. "Okay, guys, take a break! We've been doing really well so far today!" the director declared. "We're back on set in one hour!" 

As the other four villain-actors headed off-set, Ghost Wolf's actor walked up to Shadow Fox's actress. "Not too tough, was it?" he inquired.

The actress removed her fox-mask, revealing her natural beauty underneath. "It still feels like the first time I shot a scene," she remarked. "Who'd have thought, huh, Atsui...working on a Shadow Fox TV series..." 

"Well, you can say that, Emi; you're relatively new to the biz," said Atsui, removing his Ghost Wolf mask to reveal his boyish face underneath. "Say, how's about we grab lunch?" 

"Sure, I could eat," Emi nodded assent. "I think the caterers should have some stuff ready."

The two walked across the studio lot to the adjoining cafeteria, and moments later they were joining the rapidly-growing line, lunch-trays in hand. "You know," Emi remarked to her co-star, "I can't believe it's already been a year since we started this."

"I know, right?" Atsui chuckled. "We started working on the first season right out the gate, and now we're well into the episodes for Season Three. I am just psyched for it!" and he grinned.

"I hope they don't kill off your character like they did in the first movie, though," Emi replied.

"Ah, well, you can't really fault the movie director for doing that...I think he said he wanted to do a darker-and-edgier take on Shadow Fox," said Atsui. "Luckily, the fans loved it...I think some of them were hoping for Ghost Wolf to get killed, only to later turn out to still be alive after all."

"Which is exactly what ended up happening in the next two movies—Ghost Wolf wound up being the man behind the two sequels' villains," Emi nodded. "That was a twist that not many people saw coming."

"It helps that the director had some input from the comics' creator on that decision," Atsui commented. "Like it or not, as far as the Shadow Fox comic mythos goes, Ghost Wolf will always be a major driving force in the Fox's life."

"Mmm-hmm." Emi looked up ahead to the front of the line; the number of people ahead of them was gradually dwindling. "You know...it's funny..I honestly never expected that I'd be playing such a popular role like this. It's a little different from what I'm used to."

"Yeah...you were in a couple of low-budget family dramas before this, weren't you?" asked Atsui.

"And you were a film student doing independent short films in which you expounded on the whys and wherefores of your favorite comic book character's history...and now, many moons later, you're actually playing your favorite comic book character," said Emi.

"Can I help it if Ghost Wolf is one of the coolest villains out there?" Atsui answered. "As it is, I'm glad Tenka Studios considered the both of us for these roles when they were looking for fresh young talent to star in this show—these will be our break-out roles, I'm sure of it."

"And to star in the pilot with THE Fujikaze Yukie...the same Fujikaze Yukie who starred in the movie trilogy...no wonder this show got the award for the premiere with the most viewers of this decade!" Emi said in a voice full of awe.

"And now, a year later, we've aired two seasons with 44 episodes total, we've just released the first four episodes of the third season, and now we're currently working on the fifth episode...and I hear the creator of Shadow Fox himself is to make a cameo in the next episode we do," Atsui revealed in a low tone.

"Eh? Really? The creator himself is going to be here?" Emi's eyes went wide. "How come nobody told me about that?"

"Well, now, it's just something I heard through the grapevine; nothing's been officially confirmed yet," said Atsui. "But my sister Samui is a HUGE fan of his; she's been at me for weeks now as to whether I can get the man's autograph."

Emi chuckled. "Good luck with that. I hear the man's notorious about not giving autographs to anybody. But still...I wonder if he'd at least be willing to answer a few questions for me." 

"Such as?" Atsui wondered aloud. 

"Well, he sanctioned the studio's decision to combine several of Shadow Fox's characters together into individual people," said Emi. "Like, for instance, the characters of Eagle Eye and Ricochet; they made those two into one character, so Eagle Eye as he is on our show is basically Eagle Eye with characteristics of both guys. And they did the same thing with Brutality and Bonebreaker; now it's just a guy with Brutality's name and back-story, but he's a gang leader and motorcycle rider like Bonebreaker is. Doesn't that hurt the characters a bit?"

"Not if you do it skillfully enough and if you know enough about the characters. Like how they don't have Decker Card in the series at all, but they gave his razor-edged playing cards to Johnny Gamble. Now Gamble's more popular with the fans," said Atsui. "And of course, our director's been a die-hard Shadow Fox fan ever since Stampede Comics released the first issue ten years ago."

"Pardon me, you two, but why are you in the lunch-line? You're both stars, aren't you?"

Atsui and Emi looked in the direction of the questioner, a middle-aged and dark-skinned man with glasses. "Hey..." Atsui blinked. "You...you're Shadow Fox's creator, aren't you...Kinjo Naizen...!"

Those near enough to hear the exchange immediately began speaking to one another in hushed whispers as they beheld the Shadow Fox creator; he, in turn, smiled and shrugged. "That's me, all right," he acknowledged. "And you two are Morishita Atsui and Sakata Emi. The director said you'd gone this way, so I came looking for you."

"Looking for us?" Emi blinked. "Wow, Kinjo-san, that's...that's really kind of you."

"Well, you two, what say you ditch those lunch-trays and come have lunch with me? We have quite a bit to discuss...and since this will be our first real meeting, I suspect you both have a lot of questions you'll want to ask me," said Kinjo. "What do you say, hmm?"

Emi and Atsui looked at each other and then at the older man. "Yes, sir!" 

**OoOoO** **  
**

A short while later, the two were sitting in the dining room of Kinjo's suite, a few blocks away from the studio lot, and they were sharing sandwiches together. "I hope you'll forgive my choice of fare; I tend to be a pretty simple man, even if I am chief editor of Stampede Comics," Kinjo remarked.

"No, no, no, it's fine, really," and Atsui waved a hand. "I mean, just to be able to have lunch with Shadow Fox's creator—that's an honor in and of itself."

"You flatter me, young man." Kinjo chuckled. "I can tell you're a real fan of Shadow Fox."

"Ever since I first got my hands on an issue of the book," Atsui acknowledged.

"Mmm." Kinjo looked at Emi. "And you, young lady? I assume you were a fan prior to this, too?"

"Actually..." Emi bit her lip for a moment. "I'm not really much of a comic book fan, myself, but I did quite a bit of research when I was asked if I'd like to play the role of Shadow Fox for TV. I thought about it, I considered how popular the films had gotten, and I decided to try focusing a bit more on the character of Koga Michiko, as opposed to Shadow Fox."

"Ah, I see...leaning a bit more on the personality of the woman behind the mask, eh?" said Kinjo.

"Yes, sir," said Emi. "From what I've seen in the books, Shadow Fox is a bit on the frigid side; and even in the movies, Fujikaze Yukie played her as this cold-hearted vigilante who only cares about getting her mission done. I guess I wanted to humanize her a bit more."

"And you've done very well, I can assure you," Kinjo nodded in approval.

"Thank you," and Emi nodded briefly before taking a bite out of a sandwich.

"Uh, Kinjo-san...out of curiosity..." Atsui gave the editor a focused look. "I know the first Shadow Fox issue came out six months after the 365 days ended, and it's enjoyed a regular bi-weekly publication ever since. But...I don't think anyone's ever said what gave you the motivation to create the character—I don't even think it's been addressed on your social media pages."

Kinjo cocked an eyebrow. "So you want to know what inspired me to create Shadow Fox, then?"

Atsui jumped on that like a drowning man clutching a straw. "Could you please tell us?"

"Yes, Kinjo-san, I think I'd like to know the answer to that one, myself," Emi added, greatly interested.

"Well..." A thoughtful look came into Kinjo's eyes and he glanced toward the ceiling. "I guess it IS about time I spoke about what first inspired Shadow Fox, yes? Well, then...to be honest, most of the characters in Shadow Fox's universe, they were based on people I knew or met during my own childhood, growing up. Ghost Wolf was based on a local thug in my neighborhood, although that guy was nowhere near as dangerous as Ghost Wolf himself is; Mischief was based on a kid in my class who played practical jokes on EVERYBODY; and as for Shadow Fox herself, well..."

Emi and Atsui looked at him expectantly.

"Shadow Fox..." Kinjo's expression was far away; he seemed to be talking more to himself than to them now. "I based her on a certain someone...a person I met during the 365 days."

"Eh?" The two actors looked at him in surprise.

"Yep." Kinjo nodded quietly. "This isn't something I talk about often, since the 365 days was a time of loss and sorrow for a lot of civilians. But...that time, during that period...my daughter and I, we owe that person our lives from that night..."

 **OoOoO** **  
**

 _"Nice house you've got here, pops," one of the intruding thugs sneered at Kinjo, who was tied to a chair. "Hope you don't mind us moving in on a permanent basis."_ _  
_

 _Not far away, Kinjo's daughter had her hands tied behind her back, but she still gave the thugs a baleful stare. One of them took notice. "Oi, little brat, what're you looking at like that?" he demanded. "Want me to cut your eyes out?"_ _  
_

 _"Hey, hey, don't do that," the third thug said reasonably. "I've got a better idea..." and he brought his hand to his pants-waist in a meaningful manner._ _  
_

 _Kinjo's eyes widened on seeing that gesture. "She's only 15, you sick bastard!" he exploded._ _  
_

 _"Your point?" the first thug queried. "The riper the fruit..." and now he and his two cronies began to step toward Kinjo's daughter._ _  
_

 _The young girl's expression turned ashen. "Don't come near me! Daddy, help!" she screamed._ _  
_

 _"Leave her alone!" Kinjo raged, struggling with renewed desperation against his bonds._ _  
_

 _CRASH!_ _  
_

 _Glass from one of the windows burst into the living room; all five of them turned their heads at the sound. "What...!" the leader began._ _  
_

 _"Oh, great; more punks who want to ruin a nice family's place. You guys have nothing better to do, do you?"_ _  
_

 _The cause of the fresh intrusion, now revealed to be a young blond boy with what appeared to be whisker-mark scars on his face, picked himself up from where he'd landed on the floor and casually brushed bits of broken glass off his person. "And just from what I could see from outside just now, I know you three," he continued speaking, pointing at the three hoodlums, "are up to no good."_ _  
_

 _"Oi, oi, punk, ain't it past your bedtime?" the second thug asked menacingly. "You'd better run on home before something bad happens to you."_ _  
_

 _"Oh, really?" The blond boy sounded hurt. "So I can't stick around and party with you guys?"_ _  
_

 _"Grr...this little dipstick's getting on my last nerve now!" the third thug snarled. "Come here, you!" and with that he rushed at the boy and swung a fist forward..._ _  
_

 _...and the boy, in turn, shifted his upper body so the fist missed him completely, and he positioned himself behind the thug. "Huh..." the gangster began—then let out a bloodcurdling scream as the boy violently thrust one foot into the back of his knee, resulting in a sickening cracking sound as his knee-joint got knocked out altogether and he fell to the floor._ _  
_

 _The other two thugs gaped at the sight. "What in the hell...!" one managed to exclaim, though he couldn't quite react fast enough as the blond boy rushed toward him, jumped forward, and slammed a heavy heel into the guy's throat, abruptly cutting off his air supply and knocking him back._ _  
_

 _The lead punk snapped to attention. "Why, you little rat!" he roared, rushing at the boy even as the latter had his back turned to him—but he didn't get very far before he felt a solid fist slam into his jaw, and the last thing he felt before blacking out was his jawbone splintering._ _  
_

 _All this Kinjo and his daughter watched with wide eyes. "...whoa..." the young girl breathed._ _  
_

 _"Whew. That was easy." The boy turned to look at the father and daughter. "Are you two okay?"_ _  
_

 _Kinjo found his voice, but the words seemed jumbled in his head. "Who...who are you?" he finally managed to ask._ _  
_

 _The boy smiled. "Just a kid who's passing through."_

**OoOoO** **  
**

"...and after he freed us from our bonds, he quietly slipped off into the night while I was calling the police," Kinjo recounted. "I never got the chance to learn his name...at least, not for another few years. Then the Parliament incident with the LOVE terrorist group happened...and with the media furore that resulted from all that, that boy ended up getting quite the spotlight."

Atsui and Emi looked at each other. "Hmm...the boy you said helped you back then...your description of him...didn't the news carry information about a boy like that during that Parliament incident?" Emi wondered. 

"Yes, it's the same young man," Kinjo replied. 

"Huh...so you modeled Shadow Fox after a boy?" Atsui seemed amused. 

"Yes, I did," Kinjo nodded. "Of course, I obviously changed a few details so as not to overtly identify the young man, including the fictional character's gender. I figure that boy would wish to have his privacy kept private..." 

"So much for that now, though, ever since what happened at Parliament," Emi said wryly. 

"So it goes." Kinjo smiled. "Anyway, it's his life to live, and as long as I know the person who saved me and my daughter is doing well, that's fine by me. I just wonder, though, out of curiosity...I wonder what he would say if he knew that my creation of Shadow Fox was in fact my roundabout way of paying homage to him for what he did for us..." 

**OoOoO** **  
**

"I still don't see why this Shadow Fox gets so much hype, after all these years," Naruto grumbled.

"Oh, come on, Naruto! How can you say that?" Ino pouted at him. "Shadow Fox is cool, she's got a compelling back-story, her villains are awesome...plus, you can't argue with a franchise that boasts a comic series, a movie trilogy, and a TV series!" 

"And I suppose next you'll tell me there's going to be a cartoon series too, right?" Naruto asked mockingly. 

"Well, there IS a cartoon web-series that's supposed to be released soon," Ino remarked. 

Naruto rubbed a palm over his face in annoyance. "Should've kept my big mouth shut. Oy." 

"Look, Naruto, don't be hating if you haven't taken time to really check it out," Ino berated him. "How many of the comics have you read? And have you even seen the movies or the TV show?" 

"I've seen the movies a few times," Naruto shrugged. "First movie—Koga Michiko becomes Shadow Fox, fights Ghost Wolf, and at the end he dies after discovering her secret identity. Second movie—she counters a crime spree being perpetrated by Mischief, who's being helped by Silly Billy, and both of them are being manipulated by Minister Sorrow. Third movie—she has to stop an arson spree by Wildfire, while at the same time she has to stop a blackmail plot by Datajack and Dr. Glass. And at the end of the third movie, it turns out the various plots of that movie and the second movie were being masterminded by Ghost Wolf, who wasn't really dead but was just faking his death to get Shadow Fox to lower her guard so he can kill her at the first opportunity." 

"And you didn't like any of those?" Ino asked incredulously. 

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Color me unimpressed." 

"Aw, geez...you're hopeless. How can you NOT like Shadow Fox? Everybody else does," Ino scowled. 

"Let's just say I'm being a realist," said Naruto. "Somebody has to be, right?" 

"Whatever," Ino grunted. "I'll make a believer out of you yet, Naruto. Just wait and see!" 

"If my own mother couldn't do it, if my girlfriend can't do it, what makes you think YOU will?" Naruto shot at her. 

"With a lot of faith and patience." Ino grinned impishly. 

**OoOoO** **  
**

END GAIDEN 08

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: And here is where I end this Gaiden, where you learn the in-universe history of the Shadow Fox franchise, how the comic began, and who the actors are who play the characters in its TV series.

Now, Emi was an extremely minor character in the original series. Kinjo Naizen is the name given to a character that, in the original series, was the unnamed daimyo of the Land of Lightning. And, of course, Atsui is Samui's brother...and Samui herself will show up in a later Gaiden. Also, the surnames given to Atsui and Emi in this Gaiden were names I gave them for the story; they had no surnames in canon.

As far as the timeline for when this chapter takes place, it should take place approximately eight years after the Parliament incident in the final arc of the main story, with the _Shadow Fox_ comic first being released 10 years prior to this chapter, which would be a short period after the 365 days ended, based on what Atsui says in the narrative…but my math isn't all that good, so if anyone sees it and it needs correcting, I'd be glad if you let me know.

Oh…and a belated Happy New Year, and welcome to 2017, one and all!

More Gaidens to come! Stay tuned!


	9. Yumi

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 09 – Yumi**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter's timeline begins less than a month after the Parliament incident in the main story's final arc.)_

Monday, August 21.

Kushina was busy in the kitchen, cutting vegetables for the day's dinner-salad and humming to herself, while Naruto was sitting on the living room couch, watching a movie. "Why are you guys arresting the girlfriend? It's obvious it was the cheerleader who did it!" Naruto muttered under his breath.

 _Vrrm-vrrm-vrrm…_

The sound of a truck on the outside caught Naruto's ear, but he barely paid it any mind, so focused on the movie was he. Until Kushina's voice spoke up suddenly at the entranceway: "Oi, Naruto, look alive! We've got new neighbours, it seems!"

"Huh? We do?" Naruto cocked an eyebrow as he got up and went over to the window. "Hmm…"

Outside, he could see a large moving truck parked along the roadway, just in front of the house across the street from theirs; four burly men were in the process of removing articles of furniture from the back of the truck and up the driveway, while off to one side a dark-haired man and a woman with long raven-colored hair were just alighting from a Mazda motorcar parked not far away. "Yup, new neighbors, all right," he commented. "That house has been empty for a while, though, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has," Kushina replied, walking up to join Naruto at the window. "After the previous owners moved away, the house was on the market…as far as I know, quite a few people wanted to buy it. I guess these folks got to hit the jackpot."

Mother and son watched for a little while as the movers carried the new homeowners' things from the truck to the house, moving more furniture pieces and several boxes. "So…do we go over and say hi?" Naruto asked.

"I think you could," Kushina replied, "but don't crowd them—give them a little time to get settled in. By tomorrow they should have their things unpacked, so I'll take that opportunity to bring them a housewarming gift. But you can give them my regards as well."

"Cool," said Naruto. "Well, I'm going over there, then."

 **OoOoO**

"Well, honey…we've made it, at last," the man addressed the woman with a smile. "Our new home, here in Konoha Town."

"And with enough time to get settled in before September," the woman replied. "Of course, you'll already be hitting the ground running."

"Excuse me, folks—hi, there!"

Turning at the sound of the salutation, the pair saw a blond-haired boy with whisker-like marks on both cheeks coming up to them. "It looks like you're our new neighbors," the youth remarked, grinning broadly. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Glad to have you here!"

"Ah, thank you," the man replied, bowing slightly at the waist in greeting. "My name is Uboshita Takishi, and this," gesturing to his companion, "is my wife, Yumi."

"Thank you for receiving us, Uzumaki-kun," and Yumi also bowed in greeting.

Naruto nodded. "I hope you guys enjoy living here. It's a pretty quiet neighborhood, and the town's a nice place to live, all things considered."

"I'm sure we will," Takishi answered. "Ah…say, Uzumaki-kun…" He gave the younger man a searching glance. "You're the same boy, who was featured on the news last month, aren't you? During the Parliament incident."

"Huh? Uh…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, that would be me. I guess I'm an unintended celebrity or something…"

Yumi cocked her head slightly to one side. "We heard all about you from the news…and we also heard the broadcast you did on Maito Guy's radio show a while back," she remarked. "I never thought we'd have…" She lowered her voice. "…a former member of the Nine Terrors for a neighbor."

Naruto eyed the couple for any hint of hostility. "So…"

"Oh, we're not bothered, if that's what you're thinking," Takishi hurriedly assured him. "It could easily have been worse, we know…but knowing the kind of person that you've been presented as in those media reports and from your radio interview, we understand that you've been working to make amends for what happened back then. And we really do appreciate that."

"And if Konoha Town doesn't have a problem with you, then why should we?" Yumi added.

"Oh. Well…thanks for your openness," Naruto said quietly. "So, uh…anyway…what do you guys do, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, I'm a data analyst," Takishi replied. "Part of the reason we've moved here to Konoha Town is because I got a job offer with the Uchiha Zaibatsu."

"I'm a teacher—Spanish, to be exact," Yumi supplied. "I used to teach at Shimo City High School, but since my husband was moving for his job, I decided to make the move to the nearest school in the area. Konoha High School has a pretty good history, I hear."

"Oh, okay…I guess that means I'll be seeing a lot of you at Konoha High come September, Uboshita-san," Naruto nodded at Yumi. "I go to school there, myself."

"Ah, do you? That should be interesting," said Yumi. _"¿Vas a tomar clases de español este año?"_

Naruto looked her straight in the eye. _"Tal vez. Cualquier cosa para evitar el francés."_

Yumi applauded. _"Muy bueno,_ Uzumaki-kun—I'm impressed."

"I've gotten a lot of drilling from Dad," Naruto explained.

"Um…you guys do realize I have not a clue what you just said, right?" Takishi remarked.

"In a nutshell, our young friend here prefers Spanish to French," and Yumi gently rubbed her husband's head. "Although, Uzumaki-kun, I'll warn you from now: if you get me as your teacher, prepare to get a drilling."

"Better take her word for it, son," Takishi told Naruto. "When it comes to the classroom, my wife can be a real severe taskmistress. Back at Shimo City High, they used to call her 'the Student Slayer' because of how strict she was."

"Oh, I don't think I was _that_ bad," Yumi waved him off. "Still, Uzumaki-kun, I _will_ advocate that you study hard if you're in my class and want to pass. The moment you're under my tutelage, I expect nothing less than everything you've got, and then more of it."

Naruto nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

 **OoOoO**

August 22, 11:00 a.m.

Kushina stood on the Uboshita couple's front porch with a covered dish in one hand, and she reached forward with her other hand to press the doorbell. _Ding-dong!_

"Coming!" she heard a woman's voice from somewhere inside.

Kushina waited. Then a minute later the door opened, and there stood the new mistress of the house. "Hello there," Kushina greeted her. "I'm Uzumaki Kushina, your next-door neighbor; you would've already met my son, Naruto. Welcome to Konoha Town."

"Ah, hello…so you're Uzumaki-kun's mother. A pleasure," the raven-haired woman replied. "I'm Uboshita Yumi. And…" She eyed the covered dish Kushina was holding. "I assume that's a housewarming gift?"

"Of culinary skill, yes," Kushina smiled. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring this any sooner…"

"Oh, no, it's quite fine, thank you," Yumi assured the redhead. "My husband and I were kept pretty busy yesterday unpacking our things, after your son came to give us his own personal welcome. But everything's in its right and proper place now, so we're in a better position to receive guests." She stepped out of the doorway a little. "Won't you come in, Uzumaki-san?"

"Thank you. Please excuse my intrusion, then," and Kushina slipped her shoes off and entered the dwelling. "I take it you had no trouble securing this house, then? I understand it had a number of prospective buyers."

"That's what we were told by the real-estate agent, but at the end of everything, we managed to secure it," Yumi replied. "Why don't we get that dish of yours into the kitchen? It's over this way," here she directed Kushina to the rather large kitchen with an island-counter in the middle of the area.

"Yes, of course," and Kushina placed the dish on the counter and took its lid off. "Well…what we have here is a tofu and pasta casserole, with baked-bean sauce. I wasn't certain what your dietary preferences might be, so…"

"Actually, my husband loves tofu, and I have a thing for pasta," Yumi responded. "So we're both going to have something we love in this dish. Thank you, Uzumaki-san."

"My pleasure!" Kushina said brightly. "And, ah, please, call me Kushina. Since we'll be living so close to each other and all, I figure it's only fair to expect we'll be seeing quite a bit of each other."

"I expect we will." Yumi smiled. "And I'll be seeing a lot of your son come September. I'll be teaching Spanish at Konoha High School."

"Ah, a teacher! Then I hope you'll do your very best, sensei!" Kushina giggled. "Just don't give Naruto any special treatment just because we'll be living next door to each other, okay?"

"I already let him know not to expect any," said Yumi. "Although I will say this about him…he's very bright. It should be interesting to have him both as a neighbor and as a student…his recent past aside, too."

"…oh. So you saw the news reports." Kushina's smile thinned a little.

"We did. And my husband already assured your son that we don't hold any grouse against him for what happened." Yumi nodded meaningfully. "A lot of us went through unpleasant experiences of varying sorts during the 365 days. The Kyuushingai weren't responsible for _all_ of it. And…I'm not a parent, myself, but I can only imagine it wasn't at all easy for you, back then."

Kushina's hair slightly overshadowed her brow. "No…no, it wasn't."

There was a moment of silence between the two women. Yumi broke it. "So, anyway…how's about I put the casserole in the oven so it'll stay warm? And while I do that, you can tell me what sort of work you do, Kushina-san."

"Of course," and Kushina smiled more easily now. "Well, I'm just your everyday average housewife. My husband's work with the government means I don't have to go out and do the daily grind…but I do dabble in a few little things here and there."

"Oh? Such as?" Yumi wondered aloud as she put the casserole in the oven.

"Keeping tabs of ways to embarrass Naruto." Kushina smirked conspiratorially. "Shall I tell you some of his little mishaps that I wish I'd videotaped?"

The corners of Yumi's mouth curled upward. "Only if you're willing to listen to a few of my own stories concerning my husband's, ahem, _attempts_ at being a handyman."

"Sold!" Kushina gave the other woman a thumbs-up.

 **OoOoO**

September 4, the start of the new school term.

"Is it just me, or are the new teachers getting sexier every year?" Hozuki Suigetsu asked dreamily as the statuesque woman with long black hair going down past her shoulders entered the classroom, books in hand.

Tenbin Jugo, sitting next to Suigetsu, flashed his friend a nasty grin. "Don't go blowing a load in your pants this early in the morning, bro."

"What was that?" Suigetsu snarled at him.

"But still, you have to admit, this lady _is_ a real knock-out," Akimichi Choji, sitting directly behind Jugo, acknowledged. "I mean, just look at her…" and his eyes travelled up and down the woman's body, taking in the teal-colored dress she was wearing with a skirt three inches above the knee, matched with the similarly-colored stiletto heels on her feet, and her rather ample bosom covered by her blouse.

The teacher set her books on the table and picked up a piece of chalk, turned to the blackboard, and began to write a series of kanji on it. Yamanaka Ino, sitting in the middle of the student body, shook her head as she beheld how the teacher's skirt snugly hugged her rear end. "I guess I can't blame the boys for going ga-ga over this one," she muttered.

Once finished with her writing, the teacher turned to face the class. "Good morning, everyone," she greeted them. "My name is Uboshita Yumi, and I will be your Spanish teacher for this term. Now, let's get a few things out of the way right away…first of all, I am very happily married, and that will not change anytime soon…"

Several of the boys had to suppress their groans at that.

"…and I am also perfectly straight, and that won't be changing anytime ever," Yumi added.

A few of the girls muttered in disappointment, while some of the boys looked dismayed.

"In addition, since we will be in Spanish class, until the end of the year, every time we are in class we will speak only _Spanish_ —not including today's session, of course," said Yumi. "If you're going to learn Spanish, the only logical way to do so is to speak it consistently."

Whispers flew furiously amongst the students. "Is she serious? Talking only Spanish in every class?"

"Anyone who doesn't like it—too bad," Yumi said in a steely tone, getting back their attention. "I am your teacher, and it is my duty to _teach_ you and to make sure you _learn._ If you fail, then I have failed. And nobody in this class is going to be a failure, not as long as I am here."

Sitting closer to the back, Naruto's eyes narrowed as he took in Yumi's declaration. _I'll say this for her…she's definitely dedicated to what she's assigned to do. Let's see how it all turns out…_

 **OoOoO**

September 10, that weekend.

"So, Mom…about our new neighbors…what do you think of them up to now?" Naruto asked Kushina as he set the table for dinner.

"Friendly, sociable, fully engaged in what they do…I like them," Kushina smiled. "And one thing I'm especially thankful for is that they seem to be taking it in stride that they're neighbors to a former member of the Kyuushingai."

"Yeah, they took it pretty well when they recognized me the first day," Naruto acknowledged. "At least, they're handling it better than most people here in Konoha Town…you'd think the people would've gotten used to me being here after everything that's happened up to the Parliament incident…"

Kushina gave him a sympathetic look. "Still getting funny looks from some people, huh?"

"Yup." Naruto set out the place-mats on the table. "I mean, all my friends that I've made since I came here in January, they're well-used to me by now…it's the people who continue to look at me with suspicion without even knowing me, they're the ones who grind my gears. At least at school, it's a little easier to deal with—the other kids think it's cool to be attending school with one of the Nine Terrors."

"And how do you find Yumi-sensei as a teacher?" asked Kushina.

"Whew!" Naruto whistled loudly at that. "She's a monster when it comes to Spanish class! We're only allowed to speak Spanish in class, and if you talk or write in any other language, she'll subtract five marks from your assignment for that day—for _every single time_ you do it!"

"Mmm-hmm…strict, but that's not really unexpected when you're dealing with learning a foreign language," said Kushina. "By the way, Ino-chan and Shino take Spanish, too, don't they?"

"Yeah, they do—and we've already started a study group," said Naruto. "We've agreed to meet every day during lunch to study. That's how tough this class is."

"By any chance, do they know your teacher lives next door to you?" asked Kushina.

"Kinda hard for them NOT to know…that idiot Suigetsu actually followed her home from a distance after the first day, just to find out where she lived," said Naruto, rolling his eyes. "He backtracked real fast when he realized it was next door to me…but guess what he asked me the next day?"

 **OoOoO**

" _C'mon, dude, she's your next-door neighbor! Can't you, I don't know, sweet-talk her or seduce her or something? Use some of that Kyuushingai charm or whatever you've got! Our grades are on the line here!" Suigetsu urged._

" _Uh, dude, my skills don't work that way…" Naruto had a sweat-drop on his forehead._

 **OoOoO**

Kushina sighed. "Methinks I need to have a little chat with Suigetsu about that."

"Still, there's no denying it…it might only have been a week so far, but Yumi-sensei's getting pretty popular at school," Naruto added. "In fact, I think some of the other teachers are getting jealous…"

 **OoOoO**

" _Uh, what's wrong with you two?" Naruto asked Kakashi and Mei, both of whom were sitting on chairs just outside the staff-room, arms folded and sulking._

" _It's that newcomer, Yumi-sensei…she's taking away the attention of all the boys from me!" Mei pouted._

" _And she's making herself look so much cooler than me—I'm supposed to be the cool teacher!" Kakashi groused._

" _Um…aren't you two prioritizing the wrong things here?" A sweat-drop rolled down Naruto's head._

 _Just then Kurenai poked her head out the staff-room door. "Oh, you two still haven't quit your sulking yet?" she asked. "Sheesh, you're both so immature…"_

" _You mean you haven't realized it yet, Kurenai?" Mei asked._

" _Realized what?" Kurenai wondered._

 _Mei looked incredibly mournful. "You and I are both D-cups…"_

"… _and she's a DD-cup," Kakashi put in matter-of-factly._

 _There was a moment's silence. Then Kurenai disappeared back into the staff-room…only to emerge a moment later with a chair of her own, setting it down beside Kakashi and sitting down heavily with a scowl on her face. "Cheeky upstart, she is," Kurenai grumbled._

" _NOT YOU TOO, KURENAI-SENSEI!" Naruto exploded, fangs in his mouth._

 _The next thing he knew, Anko and Genma emerged from another direction with chairs of their own, and they plunked the chairs down and sat, their faces full of discontent. "The new teacher's sexier than me in P.E. gear," Anko groused._

" _And she just beat me at laps around the track—made me look like I wasn't even trying," Genma lamented._

" _What is WRONG with you teachers?" Naruto demanded._

 **OoOoO**

"Aaaaahhh, I know this one well…this is the 'Ace Phenomenon'," Kushina said knowingly. "This is where somebody is shown to be so good at all manner of things that they upstage everyone else without even trying hard."

Naruto scoffed. "Oh, please, Kushina—there's nobody around who's good at every single thing there could ever be. I'm sure even Yumi-sensei must have a few flaws of her own."

 _Knock-knock-knock._

"Ah, coming!" Kushina cried, hurrying to the door and opening it. "And—oh, Yumi-sensei! We were just talking about you!"

Indeed, standing there on the porch was Yumi, holding a small pot in her hands. "Hello there, Kushina-san," she greeted the other woman. "I hope I'm not intruding…I just wanted to share a little something with you that I cooked up for our dinner today, as a thank-you for that lovely tofu-and-pasta casserole you brought the other day."

"Oh, my…that's really kind of you," Kushina replied, accepting the pot from Yumi. "Say, would you and your husband care to join us for a bite?"

"Thank you, but I'll have to decline that invitation for now…Takishi and I are going to be having some, ahem, quality time together tonight, if you know what I mean." Yumi then looked over Kushina's shoulder and saw Naruto standing in the hallway. "Hello there, Naruto-kun. Are you working hard on those assignments I gave you in class?"

" _Si, profesora,"_ and Naruto flashed a brief two-finger salute.

"Good, good. Well, I expect to see you ready for more work first thing tomorrow." Yumi turned her attention back to Kushina. "Anyway, Kushina-san, you can return the pot when you've finished that dish. I hope it's to your liking—I really worked hard on it today."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to give it a fair review," Kushina assured her. "Thank you for going to this effort, Yumi-sensei."

"And thank you for accepting it, Kushina-san," said Yumi. "Well, I'll let you partake of it, now. See you at school tomorrow, Naruto-kun!" and with a wave of her hand she turned and headed back across the street to her house.

"Hmm…that's really nice of her to do that, bringing a dish over for us to sample," Naruto remarked as Kushina took the pot into the kitchen.

"I suppose she feels some obligation, after I brought that casserole over to them," Kushina answered, setting the pot down on the counter and removing its lid. "Now, what have we here…hmm!"

Naruto looked inside the pot. "Spaghetti, chicken strips and shredded spinach in Alfredo sauce with parmesan cheese…and I can smell a hint of garlic in there, too…looks kind of messy, though."

"Perhaps she was going for the one-pot cooking style," Kushina suggested. "But as they say, the proof of the pudding, or in this case the pasta…" and she took up a fork, dipped it into the pot, drew out a small amount of the spaghetti dish, and plopped it into her mouth.

Naruto watched Kushina carefully as the redhead chewed slowly and methodically. "So…"

Kushina swallowed her mouthful. "This…this stuff is…it's…"

"Yes?" Naruto asked expectantly.

Waterfalls spurted from Kushina's eyes. "IT'S SUPERB!"

"What? Really?" Naruto gawked.

"The right types of seasoning in the right amounts…the right balance of pasta, cheese and sauce…and even the spinach is perfectly cooked…!" Kushina dropped to her knees, waterfalls pouring from her eyes. "I'm loath to admit it, but—I think—I think I might have finally met my culinary match! And living right across from me, at that!"

"Oi, Mom, pull yourself together!" Naruto urged her.

"Go ahead, Naruto!" Kushina challenged him. "Taste the chicken pot pie I've looked about for _our_ dinner…then taste Yumi-sensei's dish and tell me which one is better!"

Shrugging, Naruto turned to their stove and opened a pot that was sitting there; he took a fork, dipped it into the pot, and tasted the chicken pot pie. "Hmm…" Then he turned to Yumi's pot and took out a forkful of its pasta dish, sampling it. "Hmm…"

"Well?" Kushina gave him a critical eye.

Naruto swallowed. "Um…well…how do I put this…could we hire Yumi-sensei to cook for us?"

"TRAITOR!" Kushina wailed.

"W-w-w-w-w-w-wait, Mom, I didn't mean it like that! Come on!" Naruto exclaimed, waving his hands in a futile effort to placate his mother.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 09

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Just so you know, Yumi is not an original character; she was the dark-haired girl that Konohamaru created for his Sexy Jutsu: Girl on Girl Technique, specifically, the anime version of that scene (in the manga, the hair color was different). I merely took her and made her into her very own character for this Gaiden chapter. As for Takishi, in canon he was one of Orochimaru's prisoners. The surname Uboshita is one I decided to apply to the two of them, since Takishi himself didn't have a surname in canon.

More Gaidens to come—and we'll be seeing more of Yumi and Takishi in due course!


	10. Obscurers, Part 2

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 10 – Obscurers, Part 2**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter's timeline begins in January, immediately following the end of the 365 days.)_

Ishikawa, the Minister of Justice, gave a critical eye to the front page of the morning newspaper as its headline jumped out at him: _Nation still picking up pieces after Terrors vanish._

"We tried to avoid one pit…only to end up falling into another…" Ishikawa muttered grimly. "The country's on the edge of paranoia, so many people are dead, and the international community is on the outside looking in…how are we going to salvage anything from _this?"_

Mechanically he folded up the newspaper, took up his briefcase, and headed outside to his car. On autopilot, he directed the vehicle out of the front gate, down the road, and toward an intersection where the stop-light was just then on green…but still his thoughts were on the report he'd just read.

 _Yagura…this all happened because I let that madman into the training program…Shijimi and Jibachi were right—nothing good was ever going to come of that…and I was too short-sighted to see it…_

He was so deep in thought that he failed to notice the stop-light had shifted from green to red…didn't realize until a second too late that the vehicle on the other side of the intersection, a delivery truck, was pulling out in front of him, and that he was coming way too fast to slow down…

 **OoOoO**

One month later…

Kazahana Sousetsu, the Prime Minister, removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. "You're sure you won't consider taking up the position of Justice Minister full-time in Ishikawa-san's place, Jiraiya-san?" he asked the white-haired man standing before his desk.

Jiraiya shook his head. "Thank you for the consideration, but I believe I must decline the offer, Kazahana-sama," he replied. "I know you've had me acting in the post for the past month since Ishikawa-sama's passing, but…in my humble opinion, to do otherwise would be a disservice to the years Ishikawa-sama spent giving service to our country as the Minister of Justice."

"I see," said Kazahana. "I do sympathize with your position, Jiraiya-san. His death last month still comes as a shock to many of us in the Cabinet, even now."

"Yes, sir," said Jiraiya. "I believe it would be only appropriate for me to stay out of the spotlight, at least for the time being. After all…Ishikawa-sama was a good supervisor to me."

"Mmm-hmm." Kazahana nodded. "But the post can't be vacant for too long…and if you won't take the role on, then I'll just have to make a swift appointment of someone who will be in a position to do so."

"Have you someone in mind, sir?" Jiraiya wondered.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Kazahana leaned back in his chair. "I actually had him as a back-up replacement in mind, in case you were to say no to the role…how well do you know Yamashiro Aoba?"

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "Your current Minister without Portfolio in your office…and a sitting Member of Parliament…graduated with honors with a degree in criminal law…though he _is_ rather young compared to the rest of us."

"Sometimes we could do with a youthful perspective on things," Kazahana said with a smile. "Yamashiro-kun will certainly have the energy to get his appointed projects done, and as you've just pointed out, he definitely has the know-how to go with it."

"Hmm…as you say, sir," Jiraiya replied.

 **OoOoO**

"Come again, sir?" Yamashiro Aoba, a fairly young man in his mid-30s, blinked as the Prime Minister's words registered. "You want me to take Ishikawa-san's place as the Justice Minister?"

"I've already spoken to Jiraiya-san about it, and since he's not in a position to step up from the Permanent Secretary role, it's been agreed that you'll be the one at the helm," Kazahana said smoothly.

"Well, pardon me for asking, but why _wouldn't_ you take up the role, sir?" Aoba turned to Jiraiya, who was standing not far away.

"For a couple of reasons, my young friend," said Jiraiya. "One, I'd rather stay out of the spotlight anyway. Two, I suppose I prefer to be the one on the ground doing the behind-the-scenes work as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry—I like to be able to _do_ things…" His expression became clouded. "Three, it's still taking me a little bit of time to get used to the fact that Ishikawa-sama is no longer with us—I don't think I'm in the frame of mind to do half of what the position would require me to do, not at this present time."

"Besides which, Yamashiro-kun, I think it'll be perfect for you," Kazahana put in. "I know you've been carefully analyzing some reforms Ishikawa-san had been working on—perhaps you would be the best person to see how well those reforms can be instituted."

"Hmm…" Aoba cast his gaze at the floor. "Well, sirs…if you really feel that way about it…then as my way of honoring Ishikawa-sama's memory, I'll do my part to the fullest of my ability."

 **OoOoO**

A week later…

Aoba was walking along the corridors of Parliament, sifting through some papers he was carrying. "Geez, it hasn't even been a few days since I was officially sworn in as the new Justice Minister, and already look at what I'm being sacked with…!"

"So that's the real reason you turned down the post, Jiraiya-san—more plausible deniability in case anybody asks about _that_ issue?"

The voice, coming from just around the corner, had come in a low tone, but Aoba had always had a keen sense of hearing. He stopped right where he was and listened.

"You know as well as I do that it wouldn't do for too many questions to be asked if I were in such a high seat of power," Jiraiya's voice came in response to the questioner. "At least with Aoba-kun in Ishikawa-sama's place, if anybody starts to suspect anything and asks questions, Aoba-kun can truthfully say he knows nothing of it."

Peering around the corner as much as he dared, Aoba saw that it was indeed Jiraiya, talking with Akahoshi. "Even still, with respect to Ishikawa, if he'd left any hint of what we did for anyone to find, we're all screwed," Akahoshi growled.

"Don't worry about it, sir," Jiraiya said smoothly. "The moment I learned of Ishikawa-sama's death, I went to his office and made sure to check for any trace of documentation of all our conversations concerning _that_ issue. There's nothing there for any of us to worry about."

"I still don't like it, though," said Akahoshi. "Especially considering that Shimada Yachi is still out there and keeping herself off the radar. Have you had any success in finding her?"

"No, sir," said Jiraiya. "I did manage to make contact with her daughter Villette, but evidently not even she knows her mother's current address."

There was a pause. Then: "How much does the daughter know of this situation?" asked Akahoshi.

"Admittedly, it's hard to say," said Jiraiya. "I've had surveillance kept on Villette in case she and her mother should meet and have any sort of discussion that goes in that direction. They've met in public places a few times, but nothing in their conversations suggests that Yachi has told her anything. All the same, I'll keep the surveillance up on her just in case."

"You do that," Akahoshi said sternly. "It would not do for anyone to get wind of what has happened. This MUST stay silent, no matter what. If _anything_ pertaining to those Kyuushingai can be traced back to what we did, it's over for us."

Aoba's eyes narrowed as he listened. Then, quietly, he turned and walked back the way he had come.

 **OoOoO**

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

Aoba sat at his desk, eyes narrowed as he looked at his visitor. "Yes. Have a seat." He gestured to the empty chair in front of the desk.

"Yes, sir." The visitor sat down as instructed. "To what do I owe this honor, sir? Oh, and congratulations on your recent appointment in the post of Justice Minister…as tragic as Ishikawa-sama's passing was."

"I don't have time for pleasantries. Let's cut to the chase and keep this simple." Aoba's gaze was hard. "I took the liberty of going through the Justice Ministry's recent files and correspondences concerning any projects it had in collaboration with any other government ministry or outside entity. Which brings me to why I called you here, Namikaze Minato…I understand your son was one of the nine volunteers for the government's intelligence-boosting program."

The visitor's expression slowly changed. "…yes, sir. That is so."

"Even if your son willingly entered the project, you should have monitored his involvement more closely than it appears you did. That he went cross-country in the past year of attacks with the other eight volunteers was due to negligence on your part as a father." Aoba intertwined his fingers under his chin. "The only reason I haven't ordered your arrest for child neglect and reckless endangerment is because of your sterling record working for the government over the last few years…and because I need your help now, Namikaze-san."

"To do what, Minister?" Minato asked.

Aoba sighed heavily. "I have reason to suspect that my predecessor, Ishikawa-sama, may have been involved in…troubling dealings with relation to the Kyuushingai. However, I do not want to prematurely point fingers anywhere on the off-chance I might be wrong, especially since I am new in the seat of the Minister of Justice."

"…so you want me to seek out evidence for you, incognito," Minato supplied.

"As far as is possible, nobody else is to know about this for now," Aoba warned him. "As time progresses and I can confirm it is safe to do so, I will bring the Prime Minister in on the matter. But I need you to find as much concrete information as you can dig up."

"What, exactly, should I be searching for, sir?" asked Minato.

Aoba looked the other man squarely in the eye. "Of all the stakeholders involved, who would stand to gain most significantly from the success of the training that the nine volunteers were part of? Was enough due diligence done into the background of all the volunteers? What would have sparked them running wild, and why was it not curtailed at the earliest possible moment? And what does it have to do with the ex-ambassador Shimada Yachi? Namikaze-san…without fear or favor to anyone…even if what you find could shake the very foundation of our system of governance…I want the truth."

Minato's eyes narrowed as he considered his instructions. "You mentioned Shimada Yachi…I understand she's a hard woman to keep track of, ever since she dropped out of the limelight."

"It doesn't matter. Do whatever you have to do to find her, if it comes to it that she needs to be found." Aoba's expression hardened. "Ishikawa-sama had knowledge of something concerning that woman…concerning the Nine Terrors…and I have no intention of being blindsided by anything that might come up at me because of whatever he was involved in before his death. Therefore, Namikaze-san…GET. IT. DONE."

Silence reigned for several seconds. Then Minato bowed his head submissively. "Yes, Minister."

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 10

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: And so we see how Minato first got his commission to investigate the true circumstances behind the 365 days…and, of course, the main story outlines the eventual outcome of that. I must say, it's always very nice when you have supplementary material such as this to help fill in the gaps that were left unchecked in the main narrative.


	11. Maturity

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 11 – Maturity**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place in the middle of February, one month after the start of the main story.)_

If anyone had told Hoseki Guren two weeks earlier that she would be in the situation she was now in, she would likely have laughed them to scorn. Impossible, absurd, not about to happen, those would have been some of the choice terms she would have used in response to anyone who'd have dared to say to her face that this would be her situation any time in the near future.

And yet, here she was.

 _How did it get to this point?_

That was the question occupying her mind as she assessed her current state of affairs. She was in her bedroom, in her flat, at 2:15 in the morning according to the luminous dial of the digital clock on the night-stand beside her bed, with no sound save for the occasional night-time noise of whatever stray animal happened to be outside…and beside her, fast asleep, was a young man, with hair that fairly covered his ears and came down to just above his shoulders, and a face that she would've thought was younger than his actual age.

His name drifted across her thoughts as she looked at his sleeping expression. _Sagi-kun…_

She remembered.

It hadn't been very long since they'd known each other, and yet…

 **OoOoO**

 _Two weeks earlier…_

 _Guren entered the café, her bag slung over her shoulder by its strap, and looked around. As it was mid-afternoon, business was brisk in the establishment, and most of the patrons consisted of the many teens and twenty-somethings that went to school or did their work here in the metropolis that was Kumo City. As such, a lot of the booths and tables were fully occupied, as the patrons enjoyed their meals or typed out whatever work they had to do on their laptops or just engaged one another in all manner of conversation._

 _It meant that the chances of her finding a quiet spot to enjoy a bite to eat and do her own work were pretty much nil. Still, it likely wouldn't hurt to try and find a convenient spot…_

 _Ah, over there in the corner, there was a young fellow sitting all by himself. Dark purple hair, a babyish face locked in concentration as he typed away furiously on his laptop's keyboard…_

 _Seconds later, Guren was hovering over the young man's table. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?" she asked, indicating the empty space opposite him._

" _Huh? Ah, sure, go ahead," and he invited her to take a seat with a wave of his hand._

" _Thank you." She settled into the empty chair. "Plenty of work, I take it?"_

" _A couple of essays to finish and submit," he said in a brief response._

" _Hmph." She smiled a little. "We're almost in the same boat. I've got a few assignments to grade."_

 _That seemed to catch his attention, for his typing stopped and he looked up at her. "You're a teacher?"_

" _Yes, I am," Guren nodded in acknowledgement. "Hoseki Guren's the name."_

 _He nodded and extended a hand to her. "Owashi Sagi."_

 _She accepted his hand and shook it. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Owashi-kun."_

 **OoOoO**

Guren's mind ran back over that initial conversation that followed the introduction that day. She'd outlined herself in more detail to Sagi after the exchange of names—that she was 37 years old, had been teaching Physics at the city's most prestigious high school for some 10 years now but had also taken some time to do her Masters' Degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communications via online courses; and he in turn had revealed that he was 22 years old, a sophomore student at Kumo City University, pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, and that the essays he'd been working on at that time were for a mandatory English course he'd had to take.

" _Why does a Computer Science major need to do mandatory English courses, anyway?"_

She remembered the lament Sagi had made about his coursework during the conversation…a complaint she could relate to, for she herself had had to do a number of courses she'd thought were highly unnecessary back when she was doing her own Bachelor's Degree. That commiseration led to a further discussion on a wide range of topics, for which it turned out that they had vastly differing opinions on several of them—she was a vegetarian, he was sceptical of meat-substitute products; she adored cats but hated dogs, he despised cats but was an avid dog-lover; she thought the Kyuushingai should be given the right to a fair trial for their actions during the 365 days, he believed they should be shot on the spot without having to bother the court system—but despite their differing opinions, they were able to clearly, calmly, and respectfully articulate their reasons for their views on the various topics, and Sagi did so with a surprising level of insight and maturity that Guren thought was rare for someone of his age.

The discussion had been long, intense, and by and by Sagi's homework assignments were halfway done and Guren's marking of papers was about 85 percent complete, and the two of them ordered meals so they could chow down while continuing their talk—he a fish sandwich with fried potato wedges, she a plate of gluten-steaks with rice and red beans and coleslaw—and they'd kept on talking, talking, talking…and right now she couldn't quite recall at what point the conversation turned to the topic of their respective families: Sagi, it turned out, was the son of an office manager for a small company, and his mother had died when he was still too young to really remember her, and he had a younger sister who was in her last year of high school now; while Guren was divorced some eight years now after having been married for six before catching her now-ex-husband in bed with her now-ex-best friend, and fortunately the couple hadn't had any children together so the divorce proceedings were easier to bear, though no less painful for her…

It still amazed Guren that she and Sagi had talked for as long as they had, that day.

Then their meals were finished and they'd both had to leave, but they agreed to meet there again and continue the rest of their conversation. And conveniently enough, the next day they'd met there at that same table, at that same time of day, and they'd talked on all manner of things, having debates on some especially touchy subjects…and such had their acquaintanceship been for the next two weeks.

At no point in time during this period had Guren ever even considered the possibility of getting more intimate with Sagi. Not that he wasn't good-looking, mind you, but his features were more along the lines of "adorable" rather than "hunky;" and besides which, there was the age difference, which, while he was at least of age, still made Guren feel as though she'd be a cradle-robber if she even thought of engaging him in that way. Besides, what could he, a young man in the prime of his life, offer her, a woman approaching the period when she'd soon have to face inevitable menopause? And even if, for argument's sake, they did get intimate in any such way, it would only have been a physical fling, and then they'd be gone from each other and likely never see each other again, a scenario more likely to happen once Sagi completed his degree and if he chose to further his education or pursue a career in another city or even overseas, and he would likely be more comfortable engaging in a relationship with someone closer to his own age.

And yet…earlier that very evening, they'd met at the café as always, and he'd offhandedly asked what her plans were for the rest of the night, and she still wasn't sure what had prompted her to invite him to her place…and even when she made the invitation, she'd only intended for the two of them to just have a casual, social get-together…

 **OoOoO**

 _Sagi swallowed the lump in his throat as he took in Guren's form before him. "Guren-san…"_

" _Sshh." She gently placed her index finger on his lips to silence him. "Don't say anything."_

 _The rubber was retrieved from its place in the side-table drawer—Guren, ever a responsible woman, had a stack of them there just in case she might score with any gentleman caller—and before long it was out of its container and placed on its intended target. And as this was done, Guren had to admit to herself that while Sagi's body in general wasn't really anything to write home about, being best described as average, she'd been honestly shocked at his girth. Any girl lucky enough to have him would be quite happy, she was certain._

 _Then she was getting herself into position atop him…then his groan filled her ears…and she had her eyes closed for a few moments as she moved herself, trying to match his movements into a proper rhythm, before she opened her eyes to look at him. His eyes were half-closed; he was looking at her with a combined sense of wonder and nervousness. There was no sound save for their mutual deep breathing and the occasional sigh or moan from one or the other of them…then Guren felt Sagi's movements get more jerky beneath her, realized what that meant, and moved herself accordingly…and his eyes opened wide and he let out a sharp cry as he reached the point of nirvana._

 **OoOoO**

Guren idly reached up with one hand and brushed a lock of hair away from Sagi's brow. He looked so handsome the way he was just now, sleeping like this…it certainly helped that they'd spent a good hour and a half getting to know each other far more than they'd done with their two weeks' worth of conversation. And Guren was still rather impressed that Sagi had been able to keep pace with her, despite the fact that she'd dominated most of the session and the fact that she'd basically unleashed on him her own years of pent-up physical frustration since her divorce.

Then again, he was 22 years old. Of _course_ he'd be virile.

"Mmm…" Her act of brushing his brow with her fingers must have roused him from his sleep, she realized. "Guren-san…"

"Sagi-kun," she whispered into his ear.

His eyes fluttered open, and he turned his head to look in her direction. In the darkness of the room, even with both of their eyes adjusted to the current lack of light, they could only perceive each other as shapes with no hint of color, but they could still perceive each other nonetheless. "How long have you been awake?" he asked.

"Just a little while," she admitted.

He cocked his head and studied her. "Is anything wrong?" he asked quietly.

"No, no," she sought to assure him. "I was just thinking, is all."

Sagi adjusted himself so he was sitting up. "Might I ask what about?" he asked.

Guren drew the sheets up to cover her modesty, though she knew in her mind that it didn't really matter at that point. "About how we met," she answered honestly. "How we wound up here…how I genuinely never expected things would turn out the way they have…"

He gave her a long look. "Do you regret it?"

She shook her head. "No, dear. It was just…unexpected, that's all. But not unpleasant in the least."

He breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. "You know…this isn't my first time overall…"

Well, that wasn't too much of a shocker for Guren—she'd been well prepared to be informed one way or the other. "Your first time…was it good?" she asked.

"Not really, no," he admitted. "We were both in our final year of high school, and it was awkward and neither of us had a clue about what to do. Turns out, neither of our sets of parents had given us The Talk on an adequate level, you know?"

"I hear you," said Guren. "Well…my first time was with my ex-husband, on our wedding night."

Sagi nodded. "Okay."

Silence reigned for a long moment. Guren broke it. "Could I ask you a serious question, Sagi-kun?"

"Sure. Shoot."

She looked him in the eye. "I'm 15 years your senior. Does it bother you in any way?"

He returned her look. "Does it bother _you?"_

"Well…" Guren frowned a little. "I don't know if I want to be called a cougar this early in my life."

"Guren-san…" Sagi reached for her hand and lightly squeezed it. "So what if you're older than me? You're still smart, you're a real knockout in the looks department, and you're a better source of conversation than anyone I've known in the past year. I admit, I wasn't exactly planning for tonight to happen…but I wouldn't take it back for anything."

Guren returned Sagi's hand-squeeze. "I like you very much, Sagi-kun. I just don't want things to get awkward between us, that's all."

Sagi nodded. "Well…let's see where things go from here, eh? And…no matter what happens…I still like and respect you, Guren-san."

"And I you, Sagi-kun." Guren gave him a small smile and drew closer to him. "Hold me?"

He obliged.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 11

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Okay…this has got to probably be the most, ahem, _mature_ bit of material I have written for the _Kitsune no Ken_ universe (second only to Matsuri's flashback sequence with her aunt's infidelity and her own sexual assault in Chapter 184 of the main story), and while no details are outright explicit here, it still merits an M-rating due to the nature of its content.

In the canon series, neither Guren nor Sagi had surnames. Hoseki (which is the Japanese word for "gem") is the surname I chose to give Guren, as a nod to her abilities during the filler arc where she appeared; while Sagi's surname Owashi is derived from it being the name of his father in the original anime. Also, for those who really don't know, Guren was one of Orochimaru's filler-arc subordinates who eventually became a good guy, er, girl, while Sagi was dead in the back-story of the arc where his family appeared.

The question now is, will there be similar mature content like what is in this chapter, in future Gaiden chapters? Well, I have some ideas in mind…the challenge is how to write sex scenes without being pornographic or explicit. This was the same challenge I faced back when I was writing the scene in Chapter 153 where Mabui massages Yugao, and in the aforementioned Chapter 184 where I had to edit the flashback to Matsuri's assault several times so as not to make it more disturbing than the final product turned out to be…but in my mind, a good writer knows how to withhold details while giving just enough that the reader can fill in the blanks without sensitive material becoming too obscene.

Anyway, more material to come!


	12. Meet the Owashis

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 12 – Meet the Owashis**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place on April 2, three months after the start of the main story.)_

"I see...so you're the one my son has developed an interest in..." Mr. Owashi stroked his graying beard as he gave the blue-haired woman sitting across the table from him a contemplative look.

"Yes, sir, I am Hoseki Guren," and she gave a respectful bow. "I'm honored to finally meet you."

They were sitting in the Owashi family's dining room, with Sagi next to Guren and his younger sister Toki beside their father. Mr. Owashi nodded in response to Guren's bow. "Sagi has told us good things about you, Hoseki-san," he said. "It seems you've been a good influence on him since you met."

"Thank you, sir," said Guren.

"I must admit, when he first told me about you, I was a little…doubtful," said Mr. Owashi. "I won't mince words, Hoseki-san—the age difference between the two of you threw me for a loop. He's 22 now, and you're 37…some persons will have their eyebrows up at that, if you two should become exclusive."

Sagi glanced at Guren out of the corner of his eye, but out of respect he stayed silent. Then he cast a glance at his sister; for her part, Toki had a poker-faced expression.

"I acknowledge that concern, Owashi-san," said Guren. "I must confess, too, that I was a little worried at first about what others would think. Nevertheless, Sagi-kun and I have talked about it, and he's not about to make it an issue; therefore, neither will I. And I hope it will not be an obstacle for you, either, as his father."

"Mmm-hmm." Mr. Owashi nodded once. "It wasn't a very commonplace thing in my time, for persons contemplating marriage to have such a significant age-gap between themselves and their prospective partners…but I suppose times have changed. Not all changes are good, mind you, but there are some that I, for one, can live with. After all, it's not as if you're _that_ close to my own age…"

"If I may, sir, how old _are_ you?" Guren ventured.

"I turned 51 last September." Mr. Owashi allowed a small smirk to appear on his mouth. "So you're still young enough that I could consider you of a different generation from me…at the very least, you'd be on the bridge between my era and my children's era."

"I see…perhaps that is so, Owashi-san," said Guren.

"There's also the fact that you're a high school teacher, 10 years in the profession, and you've been pursuing your Master's degree as well," Mr. Owashi went on. "That tells me that you're an ambitious woman, dedicated to your craft, and a true go-getter. And with the kind of degree you're pursuing, you'll do well in the corporate world, should you choose to go that route."

"Yes, sir," said Guren.

"I have just one question…and it's for my son." Mr. Owashi turned to Sagi. "You're only just pursuing your Bachelor's degree in your field, and Hoseki-san is going for her Master's degree. I see a bit of a power imbalance there on an academic level—are you sure you'd want your future wife to be more, shall we say, marketable than you?"

"It's two very different fields, Dad. Maybe there'd be a bit of overlap depending on who we'd work for, but not so much that we'd step all over each other's feet," Sagi replied. "Besides…to take a page out of your own managerial book…the CEO must treat every person with equal respect, whether it's a manager or a janitor. And if you want to get respect, you must first give it—respect is not a one-way street, whether in the working world…or in relationships."

"Hmm." Mr. Owashi fingered his beard again. "All I want is to avoid a situation where you'd end up relying on Hoseki-san to support you. Such an imbalance fosters resentment on one end and the risk of total dependence on the other end."

"I understand." Sagi nodded at his father. "But you always taught me to go directly for what I want, and not to rely on anybody's hand-outs 100 percent of the time—not even from you, even though you've been paying for my education for all these years. I must become a real man, capable of managing on my own. That is what I aim to do, and it will get done. No doubt about that."

Mr. Owashi closed his eyes in contemplation…and again the smirk came over his mouth. "What you say is certainly true. And indeed, I've always known you to not want to rely on others for every single thing in your life—what was it you said that one time? 'If I expect others to wait on me hand and foot, I'll never know how to even tie my own shoelaces.' Do you remember?"

"I remember…and I still stand by it," said Sagi.

"Right." Mr. Owashi nodded. "Then if you're both of a mind to go ahead with this relationship of yours…"

"Ahem."

As one, the three of them turned to look at Toki, who'd just cleared her throat. "Sis?" Sagi addressed her.

For the first time, Toki spoke. "Dad…I've got something I want to ask about this. Could I, please?"

"Of course! You ARE part of the family discussion," Mr. Owashi told her.

"It's a question I want to ask Guren-san…but…" Toki's eyes narrowed. "It's a bit personal." She looked at her father and brother. "Could I please ask for a moment with our guest, Dad, Sagi-nii-san?"

Sagi looked at Guren, and she in turn noticed his glance. "It's okay," she said softly.

"That's fine," said Mr. Owashi. "Come, son, let's let the ladies have their girl-talk."

"Right." Sagi nodded and stood up. "Please excuse us, then." And he and his father walked out of the living room, leaving the two females alone.

"…okay, so…now that they're out…" Guren cocked her eyebrow at Toki. "What's on your mind, Toki-san?"

Toki looked the older woman directly in the eye. "I didn't want to ask this in front of my brother and risk embarrassing him. But please tell me…have you and he…" Her gaze went down to the table. "…become…intimate? As in…physically intimate?"

Guren studied the teenager. "Is it a problem if we have?"

Toki's gaze came right back up. "Guren-san…you seem like a decent person, but…the last thing I want is for our family to be shamed and scandalized because of any illicit relationship. The last time Sagi-nii-san tried that…it didn't end well."

"You mean the girl he was with during his last year of high school?" Guren queried.

Toki blinked. "He actually told you about that?"

"Yes, he did," Guren nodded.

"…I see. Then he must really trust you…even if you haven't known each other that long." Toki looked thoughtfully at Guren. "Please don't hurt him."

Guren smiled. "You truly care about Sagi-kun's happiness, don't you…"

"Sagi-nii-san and I have been each other's best friends for as long as I can remember," said Toki. "And he…he's never been very good at relationships. He was never the social type—always focusing on school, a bookworm, only having nerds for friends…and then out of nowhere, he got involved with his classmate, a brief fling, but it was still meaningful because of what they did…"

"Yes…" Guren nodded.

"Guren-san…" Toki sighed. "I guess you could say Sagi-nii-san and I were brought up sheltered…we didn't know anything much about the birds and the bees because, well, since our mom's dead, I've never had an older female figure to tell me what's what, and it just seems weird to go talk to Dad about it, since he's really protective of me and has old-time values…and I know Sagi-nii-san's had a conversation with him about it, but all it amounted to was Dad saying 'don't have sex until you're married.' Well…when Sagi-nii-san…did what he did, Dad just about had a heart attack and the girl's father nearly killed my brother." She gave a wry smile. "The heart attack was metaphorical. The near-murder was literal."

Guren decided to risk tackling the elephant in the room. "Toki-san…do you feel comfortable that your brother has had sex at all?"

Toki blinked at Guren's directness. Then she closed her eyes and lowered her head. "Not really, no. Because…Dad's values may be old-fashioned, but they're still good ones, and I respect them, and I think Sagi-nii-san should have tried harder to stick to them. And…I guess I'm a little jealous, too. I mean, there's that double-standard because we're different genders…sure, there was that fuss that got kicked up when my brother did his thing with that girl, but can you imagine how Dad would've reacted if it'd been _me?_ And…and like I said, I don't want my brother to get hurt. He's my blood. I love him."

"I believe you do." Guren nodded again. "As far as he and I are concerned, Toki-san…it probably isn't much reassurance for you right now, but all I can offer is my word that I don't mean your brother any harm—and I'm not just saying that because we've been intimate. He's a good guy, there's no doubt about that…and I'd like the very best for him as much as you and your father do. And I'm ready to do all I can to help facilitate that."

Toki looked at her. "Would you marry him?"

"Marry him?" Guren's eyes widened a little at the question. "Well…"

"If you're serious about getting into a relationship with my brother, marriage should be the next logical step," Toki said calmly. "Since you've already gotten to sleeping together, marriage would be the only honorable thing to do. If you're not prepared to commit to Sagi-nii-san on that level, it would be better for everyone if you quietly discontinued your associations from now." She leaned back in her chair. "Like I said, I don't want for my brother to get hurt."

"Well…" Guren chuckled a little. "It seems life would be interesting if we were to be sisters-in-law."

Toki nodded. "Yes…perhaps it would be."

 **OoOoO**

"I didn't want to ask this in front of your lady, out of politeness…but…" Mr Owashi fixed a look on his son. "Ahem…how do I put this…uh…how close have you two become…physically?"

Sagi gave his father a sideways glance. "You mean, are we having sex?" and he watched as his father sputtered a little. "Well…things kinda have progressed that way…"

"…I see." Mr. Owashi sighed. "Sagi, my son, I won't lie to you. The idea that you two are sleeping together like you are now, not being married…you're an adult now, so I can't dictate what you should or shouldn't do, but I can't say I'm comfortable with that knowledge—especially knowing the values I raised you and your sister under. And if I still hold Toki to those values, I have to expect you to at least respect them as well—it's not fair for her to still keep herself chaste while you've, ah, tasted fruit from the tree twice now."

Sagi rolled his eyes at the unusual euphemism, but he could see where his father was going with it. "What are you suggesting, Dad?"

Mr. Owashi nodded gravely. "If you're going to continue developing your relationship with Hoseki-san…at the very least, consider marrying her. Make an honest woman out of her."

"Well, I'm not saying I'd never consider it, Dad…but marriage is a bit expensive these days," said Sagi. "I'd have to have a tidy sum saved up to spend on wedding plans…and like you said, it wouldn't be right for me to expect to coast on whatever funds Guren-san has for herself."

"And who says you have to splurge for a wedding?" asked Mr. Owashi. "Listen well, son. When your mother and I decided to get married, we didn't have a lot of money between us at the time—but we both knew we wanted to save up for the important things in life. So what we did was that we had a very simple ceremony—just us, the registered Justice of the Peace, a very small number of our closest friends and relatives as witnesses, and we did the whole thing right in our home church—that cut the cost of renting a venue. The only money we had to pay was for the cost of the rings and the Justice's services, and afterward we had a family feast right in our parents' homes. Of course, I already had my own house at that time, so there was no question about where your mother and I would live as a couple…"

"That simple, huh?" asked Sagi.

"Sagi…all I want is for you to be happy and comfortable. If Hoseki-san is the one who makes you happy and comfortable, that'll be fine for me…just make sure you do it right." Mr. Owashi patted Sagi on the shoulder. "I can't force you…all I can do is advise you."

"And I appreciate that, Dad, really," said Sagi. "And…thanks."

 **OoOoO**

Much later that evening…

"So…meeting your father and sister went much better than I'd hoped," Guren said quietly as she nestled herself in Sagi's arms on the couch. "Your sister and I had a very interesting conversation after you guys left the room."

"And Dad gave me some advice to go by," Sagi replied. "I've been seriously thinking about it."

"What did he say?" asked Guren.

"That if we're sleeping together, we should at least consider getting married," Sagi answered.

Guren gave him a contemplative look. "Do you want us to get married, Sagi-kun?"

He returned her look. "Off the top of my head, I'd say I like that…"

"I hear a 'but' coming," Guren said knowingly.

"Buuuuuut it's been roughly two months since we got…you know…together. It's early days yet." Sagi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"Your sister begged me not to let you get hurt. And I don't want to hurt you, Sagi-kun." Guren wrapped her arm around his waist. "So let's be real right now. Do you want to be with me—not just because of the sex, or the physical attraction, or even because of everything we've talked about up to now, but really, _truly,_ do you want to be with me?"

Sagi nodded. "I want to be with you, Guren-san. And I'm going to do whatever it takes on my end to make sure things work." He placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up so as to fix eye contact. "And what do YOU want?"

Guren's brow furrowed. "I want YOU, Sagi-kun. Every bit of you. Physical…mental…emotional. All of you."

"…okay." Sagi bent his head down a bit and lightly kissed her on the forehead. "Okay."

"Mmm-hmm." Guren pointed to her lips. "Kiss me here next time."

He obliged.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 12

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: And so, because it was requested, and because I felt like writing it, here's a follow-up to the Guren and Sagi side-story. And I wanted to portray the development of their relationship as naturally and realistically as I could, especially since in-universe it's been roughly two months since they started together as a couple, with the keynote issues (their age difference with Guren being 15 years older, and the fact that they'd started sleeping together) being tackled by Toki and Mr. Owashi in this chapter.

I'm going to be honest here—personally, I believe in the ideal that persons should wait until marriage to have sex, and then have sex only within marriage. However, in writing Sagi's and Guren's side-story as I have, I think I have portrayed a realistic view of what the world and some relationships are like without (hopefully) being boorish or preachy on one side and pornographic on the other. As for other couples in this story's universe, will they be portrayed in similar fashion to this couple? Only time will tell.

More Gaidens to come! Stay tuned!


	13. Husband and Wife

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 13 – Husband and Wife**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place during Year 7 of the time-skip before the main story's epilogue.)_

Inuzuka Tsume hummed to herself as she sat on the front porch of her home, carefully tending to a bonsai tree. She clipped off an unwanted branch here, trimmed another branch there, and cleaned away the debris as best she could from the base of the tree. "Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm…" she hummed softly.

The sound of a car pulling up near the curb caught her ear; looking up, she saw that it was a police cruiser. "Eh? And who's this, now?" she asked aloud.

A moment later she got her answer, as from out of the car Morino Ibiki came, the top of his head covered by his ever-present black bandana and himself clad in a dark trench-coat. "Howdy, chief," he greeted her.

Tsume chuckled. "I should be the one saying that to you now, Ibiki," she replied. "It's been a year since you took over my former place, after all, and you've done well in the role."

"Ah, well, as far as I'm concerned, I'm just running with the torch you gave me," said Ibiki.

"Anyway, what brings you by here today? Shall I get you a drink? A beer, maybe?" Tsume put down her gardening shears and stood up.

"Sure, I could do with a beer, thanks," Ibiki answered.

In a few minutes, both of them were sitting on the porch together, sipping from beer-cans. "Ahh…that hit the spot," said Ibiki. "Well, boss, you asked to know what brings me here…I just thought I'd come by and catch up on old times, and maybe we could rag on my brother together…"

"Idate?" Tsume cocked an eyebrow. "What about him?"

Ibiki shook his head. "I know he's been your son-in-law about three years now, but even now I still can't really wrap my head around it...I mean, what the heck could Hana ever see in a guy like him?"

"I confess, that was my initial reaction when they first started dating," Tsume admitted. "But when you stop and think about it, Idate's got a few points in his favor. For one thing, he fought to save Hana and her coworkers that time when the LOVE syndicate tried to kill Uzumaki's friends…"

"Okay, yeah, there's _that,"_ Ibiki conceded.

"And he's been faithful to her and only her from ever since they were dating—and probably even more so now that they're married," Tsume went on. "And he's been adhering to those vows he made like a charm."

 **OoOoO**

" _Now just remember, Idate…" Tsume gave a small but sinister-looking smile with teeth showing. "I'm a standing member of the local gun club, and will still be even after I resign as chief of police. So if I ever hear one complaint from Hana about you—just one—then I'm gonna make you my newest live target. And remember that now that I'm your mother-in-law, that means Hana and I will be talking very regularly. You got me?"_

 _Idate swallowed audibly. "Yes, ma'am, I got you…just like I got you the last three times you said it during the wedding reception…"_

" _Just making sure you don't forget it!" Tsume laughed and slapped Idate on the shoulder. "Now come on! The steaks aren't going to grill themselves, you know!"_

 **OoOoO**

"Yep…a good family understanding was had by everyone," Tsume said fondly, before taking a swig from her beer-can.

"All the same, though, I dare say Hana's the better half of that pair," Ibiki commented. "I mean, she's rational, she's sweet-tempered, she's polite…"

 **OoOoO**

 _Idate got flung onto the bed, and he barely had a moment to even think of getting up before Hana was straddling him. "Hey, Hana, easy, easy!" he cried._

" _No way, babe!" Hana snapped. "I've had to spend two whole days at the hospital helping out in one surgery after another! You know what that means? Two whole days with no nookie-nookie! And when Hana wants her nookie-nookie, Hana's gonna GET her nookie-nookie!"_

" _EEEEEEEK!" Idate squealed._

 **OoOoO**

"I think you might be over-exalting Hana's virtues," said Tsume. "I'm her mother. I should know."

"Well, she's not a firecracker, at any rate," Ibiki replied. "And she's definitely more grounded than Idate."

"You're not exactly being fair to the guy, are you?" Tsume gave Ibiki a look. "I mean, sure, he's made some bad choices in his life before this…but I think he's learned from them. I mean, he's been gainfully employed with the Samsara Hotel's kiddie-games lounge for at least the last six years…"

 **OoOoO**

" _Step right up, step right up, folks!" the announcer crowed. "Pie the clown in the face and win a prize!"_

 _In the pie-throwing booth, Idate had his head stuck out from the target wall, his face decked out in clown make-up, and he cringed internally as he saw several children hoisting pies in preparation to toss them his way, with what he was sure were looks of demented sadism on their faces. "Little bastards," he grumbled._

 **OoOoO**

"And as long as Idate's making honest money and is being responsible about his finances, I'm not going to complain," Tsume added.

"Well, I'm sure Hana will help him to stay responsible…she's a pretty frugal person, isn't she?" Ibiki commented.

"That she is, that she is," said Tsume.

 **OoOoO**

" _Hana!" Idate called as he came in through the front door. "Are you home?"_

" _In the bedroom, sweetie," Hana's voice reached his ear._

" _I just got the credit card statement from the post office—we've got a balance of $11,000 to pay off!" Idate held up the letter he'd just gotten as he headed for the bedroom. "And I know I haven't used the card since the end of last month! What did you BUY that cost that much?"_

" _Just a few little things." Hana sounded innocent._

" _A few little things?" Idate was indignant as he marched toward the bedroom door. "Those must've been a few EXPENSIVE little things!" He reached the door and yanked it open. "And I for one am…not…gonna…"_

 _Right before his eyes, Hana was standing in the middle of the bedroom, right in front of their bed…dressed in a very revealing and skintight black leather lingerie outfit that hid her breasts and crotch but left little else covered, black ankle-boots on her feet and leather gloves on her hands, and she held a riding crop in one hand and a pair of handcuffs in the other…and on her face was the sweetest smile she'd ever worn. "Not gonna what, hubby dearest?" she asked in a low tone._

"… _not…gonna…remember whatever it was I was about to say," and Idate had to fight hard to keep a nose-bleed from forming even as the credit card bill slipped out of his fingers and fell to the floor._

 **OoOoO**

"Well…I still think it's a weird match, but I guess there've been stranger ones," said Ibiki, before downing the last of the beer in his can. "If my brother makes your daughter happy, and she makes him happy, I won't try to interfere." He held out the empty can to his former boss.

"Same with me," and Tsume took the can from Ibiki and placed it to one side.

"Hmph." Ibiki looked to the sky. "Should be interesting, though…"

"What?" asked Tsume.

"I'm just thinking…" Ibiki looked at his former boss with an upraised eyebrow. "Those two are bound to have kids at some point, right?"

"Well, we can hope so…it's been three years since they tied the knot," Tsume grumbled. "I was hoping Idate wouldn't knock up Hana before marriage, and now that they ARE married, they're taking their own sweet time to surprise me with the baby-announcement."

"I'm guessing you talked to Hana about that?" Ibiki asked.

"Well, it came up once or twice," Tsume shrugged.

 **OoOoO**

" _Mom, I'm only going to say it once." Hana's voice was full of determination. "When Idate and I are ready to have kids, you'll know. Until then, don't make it an issue. Okay?"_

" _But I want to be a grandmother!" Tsume complained._

" _Is this complaint coming from the same woman who used to frighten off every boyfriend I had during my high school days?" Hana demanded._

" _Oh, come on! That's because I didn't want you to get pregnant before graduation!" Tsume shot back._

" _Really, Mom?" Hana asked incredulously. "You're saying you never trusted me to be able to keep my legs closed when I was a teenager?"_

" _I've always trusted_ _ **you,**_ _honey…it's the horn-dogs with their teenage hormones I didn't trust," said Tsume._

" _You chased off my prom date with a shotgun!" Hana exclaimed._

" _But I didn't scare Idate away even despite his past history, did I? So it all evens out," Tsume said importantly._

" _Well…I guess I can be grateful for that…" Hana muttered._

 **OoOoO**

"Hmph." Ibiki smirked. "I guess I do have to give Idate his due—it takes balls of steel to be able to not run away from the likes of _you."_

"I'm not scary!" Tsume said defensively. "Well…at least I don't think I am…"

"Heh, heh." Ibiki stood up and stretched. "Anyway, I'm gonna head over to the precinct and see what's going on today. Thanks for the beer."

"Anytime, Ibiki," Tsume nodded. "Just make sure you don't let up on the new recruits, got it? Otherwise I'll come down to the precinct and beat your butt myself."

"Right, right," Ibiki waved a farewell as he walked back to the car.

 **OoOoO**

A few minutes later, Ibiki pulled up outside the Konoha Town Police Station, disembarked, and walked up the front steps, heading toward the front desk. "Howdy," he greeted the sergeant on duty.

"Oh! Chief!" the desk sergeant exclaimed. "Um, good thing you're here…there's a little situation…"

"A situation?" Ibiki cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah…your brother's in one of the cells downstairs," the sergeant replied.

" _What?"_ Ibiki hissed. "What the hell? What did Idate do?"

"Um, maybe you'd better go ask him yourself…he insisted he wouldn't talk to anybody but you," the sergeant said sheepishly.

"Grr…" Ibiki marched past the desk, into the precinct, and down to the holding area…and sure enough, he saw Idate in one of the cells. "All right, Idate, I'm here now."

Idate, sitting on the cell's bunk bed, looked up. "Oh! Bro! Thank goodness!" he cried.

Ibiki took a good look at Idate and grimaced—for Idate was clad in nothing save a pair of blue boxer shorts, with fuzzy-edged handcuffs dangling from both wrists, and a broken piece of polished wood secured to one of the cuffs' free ends. "Should I even ask what the hell is going on?" Ibiki wondered.

"Ah, well…the thing is…" Idate looked utterly embarrassed.

 **OoOoO**

" _Eh, not for nothing, Hana, but…why exactly are we doing this?" Idate asked his wife._

 _He was securely handcuffed by his wrists to the bed-headboard, with himself on his knees on the mattress. Behind him, Hana was clad in a nurse's outfit that was a little too risqué to be used in her actual profession. "Don't be so stingy, Idate," Hana replied. "I told you, Dr. Haruno's giving some of us at the hospital training in this particular area so that any of us can perform the procedure in case he's not available to do it. And obviously, if I'm going to be doing it, I need to be able to practice…"_

" _So you want me as your training dummy, so to speak," Idate finished for her. "Well, honey, I'm all for helping you perfect your craft, but…in THIS particular area? I'm not so sure…I mean, I'm not even at the age when I should be doing this as yet, am I?"_

" _Oh, you'll have to get the procedure done at some point anyway…might as well get a preview, right?" said Hana. "But don't worry…at least by practicing with you, I'll be able to properly gauge the way I do it when it's time to apply the knowledge in a serious medical exam. And…" She gently ran her hand across his back, causing him to shiver. "I'll be as gentle as I can. You ARE my husband, after all."_

" _I'm happy you remember that, except…" Idate looked at the handcuffs restraining him. "Why the cuffs?"_

" _Well, I just figures, if we're going to be doing it this way, I might as well make it as…interesting as possible." A smirk came over Hana's face. "Now, then…"_

 _Idate then watched with some trepidation as Hana opened the night-stand drawer next to the bed, pulled out a rubber glove, carefully slipped it onto her right hand, and then took a bottle from the drawer and squirted a clear gel from the bottle onto her gloved fingers. "All right, Idate…" Hana then reached for Idate's boxers and pulled them down, exposing his lower region. "Try not to tense up, okay?"_

 **OoOoO**

Idate sighed. "To be honest, it felt really weird at first, but she kept talking to me, reassuring me, and then I got aroused, and…"

"Okay, okay, okay, too much info now," Ibiki waved his hands as if to ward off something sinister. "So at what point did you, I assume, break free from the bed-post and make your way down here?"

"When she showed me a copy of _Icha-Icha Confessions_ and said she'd seen a few little ideas in there that she wanted to try…" Idate audibly gulped. "I tell you, Ibiki, there's freaky, and then there's _Hana."_

Ibiki blinked. "…okay, I really, really could have gone the rest of my life without knowing this much about my sister-in-law."

"Idate! Are you down here?"

Idate's hair stood on end at the sound of the voice. "Crap—she found me!"

Seconds later, Hana entered the cell-block. "There you are!" she exclaimed. "So many people saw you running this way—what were you thinking?"

Ibiki rolled his eyes. "Master of stealth, thou art not."

"Shut up, man!" Idate growled at him.

Hana approached the cell and gripped the bars. "Idate…look…" A pained expression came over her face. "I'm sorry, boo. I guess I must've really scared you when I showed you that book…I just wanted to be creative, that's all."

"Without talking about it with me first?" Idate cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah…I screwed up there." Hana's mouth-corners curved downward. "Please don't be mad."

Idate shook his head and stood up, walking toward the bars and gently touching Hana's hands. "Hana…look…I know you didn't mean any harm, but think about it…how would you feel if I suddenly sprang something on you and just expected you to fall in line with it, with no discussion whatsoever? We're a couple now…two halves of the same whole…it can't just be what I want or just what you want. I'd just like for us to be able to talk about these things—whether stuff in the bedroom or anything else."

"Yeah…that's fair." A tiny smile sparked on Hana's lips. "Can I have my husband come home now?"

Despite himself, Idate couldn't keep a dopey grin from forming. "If my wife's willing to have me."

"Yeah. Your wife's willing." Hana leaned up and kissed him deeply between the bars.

"Okaaaaay…I'm just gonna go get the keys to the cell and let you out of there." Ibiki turned and walked away, shaking his head. "Honestly, for the life of me, I swear I will never understand you guys…"

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 13

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: So…a dash of funny here, a dash of sweet and sensitive there, and a little tipping of deadpan sarcasm as well…and the end result is this Gaiden chapter.

Just what _did_ Hana see in that _Icha-Icha Confessions_ book that got Idate scared enough to prefer spending time in a holding cell? That is for non-disclosure, you perverts.

More Gaidens to come!


	14. Perspective

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 14 – Perspective**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place during Year 10 of the main story's 15-year time-skip before the finale.)_

The emerald-green Mazda CX-5 pulled up outside the white-washed walls of the government facility, at the security checkpoint near the main gate, and the guard on duty took up his clipboard and approached the car even as its driver-side window was wound down. "Morning, sir," he greeted the driver. "How may I assist you?"

The driver nodded. "I've come to see the inmate you have here. The National Security Minister gave me clearance to come here today."

"Your name?" the guard asked.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Poised to start writing on the clipboard, the guard paused. "Uzumaki?" He lowered his head a little so as to take a better look at the driver. "Oh, I see…you're _that_ guy."

"Mmm-hmm." The visitor nodded. "I'm that guy."

The guard nodded back. "All right. I'll phone the warden."

 **OoOoO**

"Are you sure it's all right for you to come here to see that person, Uzumaki-san?" the warden asked ten minutes later, as he guided Naruto along the corridor of the facility.

"If the Minister said it's fine, then I imagine it should be fine with you, too," Naruto answered. "Plus, you've only got _one_ person to guard, here. It shouldn't be too difficult if your people are diligent."

"Well, we can't afford not to be, as you know," the warden answered. "Round-the-clock surveillance, confinement to a cell for twenty-three out of twenty-four hours of the day, with strict guidelines for handling of the inmate during that one odd hour…exactly as we were instructed. To that guy's credit, though, he's behaved himself for the last ten years since he's been housed here…"

"I'm sure," Naruto said coolly.

Presently they came to the end of the corridor…and there was a large iron door there, with two stone-faced guards at attention on either side of the doorway. The guards now moved aside as the warden pulled out a bunch of keys and fitted one into the door's lock, then turned the knob and pulled the door open…

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "I see."

On the other side of the door was a finely decorated and well-furnished room, with a bookshelf off to one side, a flat-screen television at one end, a bed in one corner, and a small toilet and bath that were walled off from the rest of the room by sheets of hard plastic. Notably, there were no windows or other doors to the room, but Naruto noted a cool breeze that he guessed was coming from an air-conditioning unit installed somewhere in the ceiling. And…sitting cross-legged on the bed, a book in one hand, was the room's sole occupant, a red-haired young man with dark rings around his eyes and a scar on one side of his forehead that vaguely resembled a kanji-mark…and he was giving his visitors a critical eye. "Well, well," he spoke up. "Good of you to come and see me, warden…and Naruto, it's been too long."

Naruto's brow furrowed very slightly. "Hello, Gaara."

The warden cleared his throat. "As per safety protocols, Uzumaki-san, the guards will be on standby and will be observing every moment of your meeting. If our lodger here tries anything suspicious, we _will_ step in right away."

"I understand," and Naruto nodded.

"Hmph. Well, at least we can't say they're not doing their jobs." Gaara lay back on the bed, his head hitting the pillow, though he kept the book in his hand and on the page he'd been reading. "In any event, make yourself at home, eh, Naruto?"

"Right." Naruto looked around the room. "For an inmate, you've gotten quite a few liberties."

"Uncle Yashamaru's influence," Gaara said simply. "Even after his role in my actions came to light, he was able to retain a few friends…mostly people who were already not fans of the governing party even before we unveiled the attempted cover-up of the circumstances behind my parents' deaths. They were able to pool their influence and resources together to make my stay here a bit more comfortable."

"Good for them," said Naruto.

Gaara eyeballed him. "So, Naruto…what brings you here to see me? It's been a very long time since last we saw each other…I honestly wouldn't expect you to pay me a visit at this or any point, considering you testified against us during the hearings that led to the LOVE members' convictions."

"And under other circumstances, I wouldn't have even considered it," Naruto admitted. "However…certain things I've noted since LOVE's plans were stopped ten years ago…I can't help but be curious about them, hence my coming here today."

"Like what, for instance?" asked Gaara.

Naruto leaned against the wall and pushed his hands in his pockets, his eyes half-closed. "During the weeks immediately after the Parliament incident, the government got put through the wringer on several platforms—not just the officials complicit in the cover-up about your family, but everyone in government, right up to the Prime Minister himself. The pundits were demanding to know what other dirty secrets the government was hiding in its collective closet, how could we expect to trust our elected officials after the revelation that they'd likely throw their own people under the bus to protect their own skins, like what happened with your parents' military unit…"

Gaara said nothing, but watched Naruto keenly.

"A number of trade agreements got put on hold while the prospective partners from other countries debated whether to do business with us—the very thing the government wanted to avoid," Naruto went on. "The argument was that, while most governments have their own dirty linen, it wouldn't look good to—how did they put it? Oh, yeah—it wouldn't look good to 'make an open alliance with a country that would callously smear the names of its own servants just to save its own face.' And then when you add in the numerous conspiracy theorists who were digging for any tangible proof that Jiraiya and his co-conspirators wanted to use us Kyuushingai to assassinate that Shimada Yachi lady just because she wouldn't fall in line with the cover-up…yeah, the government took a battering from that."

"Heh. I remember that." Gaara chuckled. "It led to the ruling power losing the election the following year. The opposition party really did its work, taking advantage of the bad press. But then again, that's what all political powers do, whether in the ruling seat or in opposition."

"And the former opposition party is now in government…for three terms so far," said Naruto. "They've had their fair share of scandals over the last decade, though…"

"But I'll be generous and acknowledge that the stuff they've done isn't anywhere _near_ as damaging as what the other party pulled…and the current Prime Minister seems like an honest person, if not wholly a saint," said Gaara. "Do you know what he did, after his party won its first term in office?"

 **OoOoO**

" _Omono Dokku…leader of the former opposition party…now the new Prime Minister…" Gaara eyed the stout, bespectacled man standing at the doorway to his room. "To what do I owe this unexpected surprise?"_

 _Dokku looked gravely at the younger man. "Kazahana Sousetsu, the former Prime Minister…he informed me of everything that befell you and your family…everything that motivated your group's actions at Parliament last year."_

" _Yes. And?" Gaara cocked his eyebrow._

" _It cannot be denied, Gaara-kun, that you have committed some serious atrocities over the last few years. However…" Dokku cast his gaze to the floor. "All of that happened only because our country's government did you and your family a massive injustice. And even though we were in the opposition benches, we were—and still are—just as responsible for it. Even the fact that our party is now in power…the victory is hollow because the shadow of that great shame still hangs over us. Which brings me to why I am here."_

 _Then, as Gaara watched, Dokku went down on his knees and prostrated himself face-down on the floor. "Ishida Gaara-kun…on behalf of myself, my party, and everyone who has been elected to serve this country both past and present…I wholeheartedly accept the responsibility, as the new Prime Minister, concerning the wrong that was done to you and your family, and I humbly ask for your forgiveness for same, even if it is unrealistic at this point to expect you to give it. Please pardon us."_

 _Gaara stared at the Prime Minister for a long moment. Then he closed his eyes and turned his head to one side. "Get up, old man. Prostrating in such a manner isn't becoming of a Prime Minister."_

" _Yet it is the only appropriate thing. And we deserve to be brought this low." Dokku remained in his prostrated position._

 **OoOoO**

"Hmm." Naruto studied Gaara. "I've done my research on Dokku…he's always been a hard-as-nails type when it comes to enforcing the law."

"Of course. He served three tours of duty in the Army, after all," said Gaara. "So for a decorated veteran like him to bow down like that, especially to a criminal like me…it was honestly pathetic to see."

"Well, what did you say to him when he did that?" asked Naruto.

Gaara waved a dismissive hand. "I told him that if he really wants to make amends, he should stamp out every ounce of corruption from the government, and that I'd be watching to see that he does. So far he's been trying his best…gotta give him points for that, if nothing else."

"And old man Sousetsu?" Naruto wondered aloud. "Has he ever come to visit you?"

"Right after the Parliament incident, when I was first housed here in preparation for the hearings," Gaara acknowledged. "He wasn't as demonstrative, but he definitely showed some remorse for what my family went through. And I had to give the guy _some_ credit—he honestly didn't know anything about the situation before it got broken open at Parliament. Jiraiya and his fellows really went to a lot of trouble to make sure Sousetsu knew nothing of the real circumstances behind my parents' deaths."

"Uh-huh," said Naruto. "But still…this brings me back to what I was saying before…"

"Yes?" Gaara looked at him again.

Naruto took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "The public scrutiny of the political figures, the fallout from other countries over the scandal, the breaking of trust in the government…even if you never got to carry out our assassinations like you'd planned when you launched those missiles from Kira's island, you still got what you wanted in the end, didn't you? To see the government shamed and broken—that was your aim all along."

One corner of Gaara's mouth curved upward. "You think so? Well…I won't say you're wrong, Naruto…but I'm more inclined at this point to think of it as a consolation prize. After all…I'm not the one running the show, as I'd wanted."

Silence reigned for a moment. Gaara broke it. "So, how's your family?"

"Mom and Dad are cool." Naruto glanced to one side. "And Hinata sends her regards."

"Tell her thanks." Gaara reclined more into his pillow. "I saw your wedding live on TV two years ago. It was on all the networks. The daughter of noted business mogul Hyuga Hiashi marrying a former Kyuushingai…why _wouldn't_ it make the news, right?"

"Except the press didn't really focus so much on _that_ part of my life," Naruto responded. "These days, they're more interested in how much my next book will make in profits. They say I'm a genius author despite having started at age 22."

"An author and a motivational speaker…to think, you make money just to run off your mouth…" Gaara grinned. "It suits you."

"…right." Naruto rolled his eyes. "Well, since we're getting all personal, how's Yashamaru doing? I haven't heard anything of him since he stepped down as CEO of Sabaku Limited."

Gaara shrugged. "He's doing pretty well, all things considered. He still has a few stocks in the company that he hasn't sold off; he lives off the returns he gets from those. Plus, like I said, he's still got a few friends here and there who he can turn to for help when he needs a few favors."

"Okay." Naruto nodded.

Again silence reigned between the two. This time Naruto broke it. "Out of idle curiosity…what're you having for your supper tonight?"

"Supper?" Gaara glanced in Naruto's direction. "Hopefully something better than what you're having."

"Well…" Naruto indulged a smirk. "I know what I can look forward to: barbecue-fried chicken, mashed potatoes with green peas, collard greens, and cinnamon pie for dessert."

"Let me guess—your mother's handiwork?" asked Gaara.

"Hinata's, actually," Naruto clarified. "She's good enough to give Mom a run for her money."

"What, you have her staying in the kitchen? Very traditional," Gaara remarked.

"Nah, not really. She punches in decent hours at Hyuga Corp, like any good company executive, but she makes time for family." Naruto nodded. "She knows how to strike that balance, what with being a mother now and all."

"You don't say." Gaara sucked on his lower lip for a moment. "Well…my supper tonight will likely consist of cheeseburgers, fries and some random soda. Or maybe it'll be hot dogs and fries…or something remotely sandwich-like. All at the warden's discretion, of course, and all prepared here at this facility."

"Well…I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume that if you want something other than what they serve you here, you could easily break out the moment you see one tiny flaw in the security arrangements." Naruto eyed Gaara carefully as he said this.

"Theoretically, it could happen…if the guards were as lazy as that. Which, by the way, they aren't. Points to them for that." Gaara nodded. "Besides, even if I could break out, what would be the point? My whole reason for activity is completed, even with the higher-ups in the LOVE organization being dead or in prison—as you rightly pointed out, the government was thrown into chaos and faced a lot of harsh criticism both domestically and internationally, and the current administration will have to be on its Ps and Qs from now on or else they'll go down in shame. Plus, the food here's not all that bad—it actually reminds me of the cafeteria food from Uncle Yashamaru's company."

"There's always the Gold Sand trafficking…and the fact that I kicked your butt last time we fought," Naruto pointed out.

"Where Gold Sand is concerned, I'm content to just watch and see where the trade goes from here, whether it'll evolve or wither," Gaara waved him off. "As for our rivalry…we'd have to have a tangible reason to fight again. The last time, you stood in the way of my goal. But with the truth out there in the public eye now about what happened to my family, there's no immediate reason for you to oppose me further, nor would it profit me anything at this point to try and kill you. So, at least for now, it's water under the bridge for me."

"I see." Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Well…you've always been a man of your word, as warped as your so-called code of honor may be. So I'll take your statements at face-value…at least for the time being."

"You do that," said Gaara.

Presently Naruto straightened up. "Well…it's been fun and all, Gaara, but I have to go now. I've a speaking engagement in Shimo City later today, and it won't do for the guest of honor to be late."

"What's the engagement—some kind of awards ceremony?" Gaara wondered.

"Close. It's a ribbon-cutting for a youth center they refurbished in that city," Naruto replied. "You'll likely see it on the news tonight, or tomorrow at the latest."

"Hmm." Gaara cocked his head to one side. "I'll look out for it."

Naruto nodded once. "See you around."

With that, the blond-haired man walked out of the room, and in a few moments the door was securely shut and locked. Shrugging, Gaara turned his attention back to the book he'd been reading: _Through the Eyes of the Fox: The 365 Days from a Terror's Perspective._ "And while you go to your speaking engagement, Naruto, I'll continue going through this best-seller you put out the other day…maybe get around to doing an in-depth critique of it," he muttered under his breath as he turned a page in the book.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 14

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: And another Gaiden chapter is down, giving us an opportunity to see exactly how Naruto and Gaara relate to each other following the events of the main story's final arc.

To explain the title of this Gaiden chapter—it's referring to the two characters' views on whether Gaara was in fact the real winner of the conflict in the aforementioned final arc. As Naruto explained, Gaara got what he wanted all along; but as Gaara also explained, he saw it as more of a consolation prize than an outright victory, since he didn't quite get everything he wanted to achieve. So…make of it what you will.

On a lesser note, concerning the character of Dokku: in canon, he didn't have a surname to speak of, so the surname Omono is what I have given to him for the purpose of the _Kitsune no Ken_ universe.

Oh, and I did a bit of a retcon to a note I made at the end of Chapter 221 in the main story. Originally, I had indicated that one of the LOVE agents who'd been unidentified by their real names in-story was Yamashiro Aoba, a Konoha jonin in canon; however, in writing a previous Gaiden chapter, I actually used him as the replacement Justice Minister after the character of Ishikawa died in that Gaiden. Therefore, I have made alterations to those notes to reflect that, instead of Aoba, the LOVE agent in question is now Tatami Iwashi, who was a Konoha chunin in the canon series.

All right—more Gaidens to come!


	15. Murder for Hire

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 15 – Murder for Hire**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter begins on October 2, more than two months following the Parliament incident in the final arc of the main story.)_

The elderly man sat on a bench in the park, his broad-brimmed fedora overshadowing the lower half of his face, his hands clasped in his lap, and his mouth set in a thin line. He paid little heed to the joggers going past him, or to the children tossing Frisbees or tennis balls for their dogs to catch, or to any of the passersby walking some distance away with hot dogs, cappuccino cups, or other food or drink items in their hands; he merely sat very rigidly where he was, waiting, waiting…

"Hey, old man."

Directly behind the back of the man's bench was a small stone wall with green shrubbery growing on top of it…and directly behind that wall was a green-haired young man, bearing a hardened look on his face. "You said you wanted to meet here to discuss a business offer?" the newcomer queried as he stood with his back to the wall, not once turning his head to look over it at the other man.

"Indeed." The older man in the fedora did not shift his facial expression a fraction as he spoke. "But this offer is not for cowards, just so you know from early."

The young man cocked an eyebrow. "Well, I'm here, aren't I?"

"That you are. But a job of this nature requires…discretion." The first man fiddled with his fingers in his lap. "Yoshida Sanjiro, former member of Konoha High School's Hall Monitors' Guild…you and your peers enjoyed significant power under your former leader, Rokusho Aoi, up until your disgraceful dismissal from school after you were arrested for causing a major disturbance in the middle of town, earlier this year."

Sanjiro's brow furrowed slightly. "You've been doing your homework."

"Quite so, Sanjiro-kun," the older man answered, "as I have been doing on the resident gangs here in Konoha Town. The Flame-Heart Posse is currently keeping a low profile while their leader Kazuma's current court trial is ongoing. The Ice-Eyes Gang is currently in the middle of an internal power struggle now that its leader, Kakuyoku Fubuki, is dead. The Crossbones Crew has been disbanded and its leader, Kaguya Kimimaro, is currently serving time in prison. The Hawks Gang is fragmented, what with most of its members having been killed or arrested in the last few months, and their leader Shiore has been imprisoned as well. And, of course, Mizuki's gang is all but extinct now that several of his lieutenants have been killed or imprisoned and he himself is still in jail. The only gang that's still active now is the Purple Storm gang, but even they are keeping their activities under wraps at present, what with the death of their leader Arashi."

"And you chose to approach me," said Sanjiro. "But what for, old man? What job could you have that would be so enticing that you'd approach a high-school reject like me?"

The old man's fedora brim continued overshadowing the upper half of his face. "I need help getting rid of someone…permanently. And I'm sure this is someone you'd love to take on personally."

Sanjiro sucked on his lower lip for a moment. "Who?"

The response was not slow in coming. "The same young man responsible for getting you and your friends kicked out of school. The Kyuushingai brat, along with his mother."

The noises of the park's other activities around them punctuated the statement. Then Sanjiro spoke again. "You're referring to that Uzumaki kid, aren't you? The one who was on Maito Guy's radio show?"

"That's the one," the other man affirmed. "Of course, if you don't think you can handle it…"

"Don't go there, pops," Sanjiro said warningly. "Nobody calls me yellow, you got it?"

"Of course, of course. Just making sure." For the first time, a small hint of a smirk appeared on the older man's mouth.

Sanjiro crossed his arms over his chest. "Well…the Kyuushingai kid I can understand. I mean, my buddies and I have a major score to settle with him, and it'd be a big favor to a lot of people if any or all of the Nine Terrors just up and died. But why the mom, too?"

The older man lifted his head slightly…and for the first time, the full facial features of Mitokado Homura emerged from under the shadow of his hat. "Let's just say the impudent little bitch did me a serious injustice that needs to be rectified before my feet go into the grave."

 **OoOoO**

" _I—I can't!" Mitokado croaked, shaking his head wildly. "They'll kill me—either Mizuki or Akatsuki, if they find out!"_

" _Oh? THEY'RE the ones you're scared of?" The woman gritted her teeth in a snarl. "Right now, you old fool, the one you should be scared of most is_ _ **me."**_ _She reached forward and grabbed Mitokado by the front of his shirt. "You say that if you talk, you die. Well, I say that if you don't talk, you die. And not just die—but die in a way that'll leave your name covered in shame from here to Kumo City."_

 **OoOoO**

"She broke into my house, disguised in a Shadow Fox cosplay outfit, and threatened me into doing what she wanted." Mitokado made no effort now to hide the indignation emerging on his face. "Such humiliation…and to think she did it for the sake of a brat who'd be better off dead given who he is and what he's done…"

"So she was in disguise, was she?" Sanjiro interrupted. "Then how'd you figure out her identity?"

Mitokado sighed. "Completely by accident."

 **OoOoO**

 _One month earlier…_

 _Mitokado hummed a low tune to himself as he strolled through the supermarket aisles, shopping basket in hand. "Hmm, hmm, hmm, almond milk, almond milk, wherefore art thou…" he muttered._

" _Why, Mei-sensei, hello there!"_

 _He froze where he was in mid-step. "That voice…" he whispered, the hair on the back of his neck standing up._

" _Ah, Kushina-san, shopping today, are you?"_

 _Hearing a different woman's voice speaking from the same direction where he'd heard the other unwelcome voice, Mitokado steeled himself and walked to the end of the aisle, before turning and looking down the next one. Sure enough, he saw two red-headed women talking together, both holding shopping baskets; one woman was clad in a blue skirt-suit, and the other was clad in a peach-colored sleeveless top and a green skirt that went six inches below her knees. "How goes the new school term, Mei-sensei?" the green-skirted woman—the one with the voice he'd remembered and loathed—asked her associate, her voice carrying far enough for the old man to hear._

" _Same as every one that's come before it—the male students continue looking at me with longing in their eyes," the one identified as Mei-sensei sighed, fanning herself dramatically with one hand._

" _Let me guess—including Naruto, right?" the other woman—Kushina—asked with a smirk._

" _Oh, I still catch him giving me the eye every now and then—though he's not really doing it as much as last term, now that he's going steady with Hinata-san," said Mei. "I expect that any tents rising in his pants will be exclusively for her from now on."_

" _That had better be the case!" Kushina said stoutly._

 _Neither woman noticed Mitokado quietly slinking away from where he'd been spying on them._

 **OoOoO**

"I already know the Kyuushingai boy's full name is Uzumaki Naruto…so from there, it was a simple matter of looking up the name 'Uzumaki Kushina' in the phone book. And sure enough…I got her address." Mitokado's gaze darkened. "Which should make this little job easier to carry out, I believe."

Sanjiro fingered his chin. "Hmm…well, pops…as much as my friends and I would want to pay back Uzumaki for what he did to us, if you're going to hire us for something like this, it isn't going to come cheap. He _is_ a Kyuushingai, after all."

At this point Mitokado reached into his coat and pulled out a huge brown envelope, casually tossing it over his shoulder and over the wall separating them. "Will that do as a down-payment?" he asked.

The envelope landed on the ground near Sanjiro's feet with a solid _thump._ Cocking an eyebrow, he bent down and picked it up, opening it a moment later—and his eyes widened when he saw what was inside. "What the…"

"You can use that payment however you wish—and there's more where that came from, once the job is successfully completed," Mitokado said matter-of-factly. "So what say you, Sanjiro-kun?"

Covertly, Sanjiro slipped the envelope into his own jacket. "Give me a day to get this done."

Mitokado smirked.

 **OoOoO**

Later that evening, at the shady _Shippuden Tavern…_

"…so that's the situation, boys. What do you say—are you in?" Sanjiro asked.

The question was directed to four other young men sitting at the table with him—one was a guy with dark-brown hair and a nasty-looking scar running up his right cheek; another sported crew-cut blond hair and an arrogant smirk on his mouth; the third had slicked-back dark hair and eyes and a dark birth-mark on his nose; and the fourth sported spiky sand-brown hair and narrowed eyes. "So this old dude gave you a lead to Uzumaki's place, huh, Sanjiro?" the scarred youth asked. "And he's gonna pay us to ice the brat and his mom?"

"Just the way he said it, that's just how I'm telling it, Yudachi," said Sanjiro.

The youth with the crew-cut blond hair cocked an eyebrow. "Honestly, I'm surprised none of us ever got the idea to look for the punk's address and hit him right at home, before now," he commented.

"Eh, well, it couldn't really be helped, Bunzo, since the cops have been extra busy around town in the last few months after what happened with Mizuki breaking out of jail, those Akatsuki guys running around, and all the big gangs moving around to do their thing," Sanjiro shrugged in response. "But now that things have gone back to normal here in Konoha Town, we can take this chance and take our revenge on that Uzumaki bastard for what he did to us."

"Yeah…and I definitely can't wait to pay him back—he's humiliated us _twice_ now," the guy with the birthmark hissed. "Remember how he got in the way when we tried to get some action with Mei-sensei, that time?"

 **OoOoO**

 _"Please…" Mei whispered, her body frozen in growing horror, her eyes frantically darting here and there for any sign of anybody she could cry to for help. To her increasing dismay, there was nobody in sight in the immediate area._

 _"Aw, listen to the sweet sexy teacher beg…just like in my dreams…" Aoi grinned. "C'mon, Mei-sensei, beg some more…" He brought the knife closer to Mei's face, even as his three cohorts snickered at the terror growing on the teacher's face._

 ** _"HEY!"_**

 _As one, all of them looked up in the direction of the shout—and beheld a blond-haired figure with a peevish expression on his whisker-marked face. "Aw, crud…it's that kid from back then…" one of the guys whispered, his smirk gone immediately._

 **OoOoO**

"Trust me, Urushi, I won't ever forget THAT," Sanjiro muttered darkly. "It was three of us along with Aoi-sama and one of him—and we _still_ lost!"

"Too bad I wasn't there with you guys, or else you'd have won for sure," the sand-blond guy grumbled. "I was still recovering from when he busted us all up that time in the square."

"Well, you're gonna get your chance to pay him back, Saisu—especially now that we've gotten this little incentive," and here Sanjiro reached into his jacket and discreetly pulled out a carefully-wrapped roll of money. "The old geezer was pretty generous—he said this was a _down-payment."_

Yudachi, Bunzo and Urushi all looked with wide eyes at the money, and Saisu gave a low but very appreciative whistle. "That old guy must be _loaded,"_ Bunzo whispered.

Sanjiro quickly slipped the money back into his jacket. "And that wasn't even all of what he gave me," he chuckled. "He really wants that Kyuushingai kid and his mom out of the picture, considering how much he handed over."

"So how are we going to do this?" Yudachi asked.

"Just wait a bit—first we need to get out of here," Sanjiro replied. "Let's go over to my place. We can divide the dough, and then I'll tell you what I've got in mind…"

 **OoOoO**

Much later that night…

"That's it up ahead, yeah?" Bunzo whispered.

"That's it, all right—the exact address," Sanjiro whispered back. "Everybody got their stuff?"

The quintet was lurking in bushes right at the corner of the road leading to their intended destination; all of them were clad in dark clothing, and each boy was carrying a suspicious-looking gallon-bottle. "Got it, all right," Yudachi replied.

Sanjiro looked up ahead. The only lights on at that moment were the street-lamps lining the avenue; all lights in the nearby houses were out. Then he glanced at his watch. "2:00 in the morning," he reported. "Let's go, fellows…nice and easy, now…"

The five crept quickly and stealthily toward the targeted house, keeping as much to the shadows as possible. "Okay, boys, we've got five minutes to get this done," said Sanjiro. "Pour the gasoline around the house and light it—then we vamoose. Let them burn inside."

A minute later, they were at the side of the house, and here Sanjiro uncorked his gallon-bottle. "Let's have us a Kyuushingai barbecue, boys," he chuckled menacingly.

Suddenly Urushi lifted his head. "You guys hear that?"

 _ **Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud**_

Saisu's eyes widened. "Behind you—!"

Yudachi, seeing his accomplice's gaze focused directly on him, turned to look— _WHUD!—_ and all at once his head got snapped the other way as a heavy boot slammed into his jawbone, resulting in him dropping to the ground, his bottle flying out of his hand from the impact. The others took this in at a glance—and Bunzo choked as a heavy forearm slammed into his throat and he dropped as well. A second later, an iron-like fist rocketed into Urushi's gut, and he could only manage a small gasp as he doubled over, clutching his midsection.

"Son of a bitch…!" Saisu erupted—right before the assailant sent one palm up under his chin, and then explosive colors broke out before his eyes even as his upper body flew back from the impact. Sanjiro, meanwhile, had only just enough time to gawk before the attacker spun toward him, grabbed his hair with one hand, and shoved a rising knee into his crotch, resulting in a groan of anguish escaping his throat as his lower body sagged like wet string.

 **OoOoO**

 _KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!_

Kushina, in bed, groaned and grabbed her pillow, covering her head with it. "Go away, damn it…"

The knocking didn't let up. _KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!_

"All right, all right, all right!" Kushina exploded, flinging the sheets off her person. "Coming! Coming!"

She stomped out of her room and came to the living room, where she saw a not-quite-awake Naruto already making his way down the stairs from his room and toward the front door. "Sheesh, who the hell is up at this hour?" Naruto groaned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with one hand while blindly reaching for the doorknob with the other.

"Whoever it is, they'd better have a damn good explanation," Kushina scowled.

Naruto opened the door—and then both of them blinked. "Huh?"

There on the front porch was a figure very familiar to both of them. "Hey there, Naruto; hey there, Kushina," he greeted them.

"Minato!" Kushina sounded as surprised as she felt.

"Dad? What's going on?" Naruto asked.

"You might want to ask those bozos out there in the yard," Minato replied, jabbing his thumb to point behind him.

Looking past Minato, Naruto and Kushina saw an unusual sight: five young men, all groaning in pain on the lawn. Now Minato held up a gallon-bottle. "They were carrying several of these bottles, filled with gasoline," he explained disdainfully. "From what I gather, they were here to set fire to the house."

Kushina covered her mouth with one hand. "Are you serious?"

Naruto took a good look at the five. "Hey…I think I know those guys," he said. "They used to be in the Hall Monitors' Guild with Rokusho Aoi. I kicked their asses a while back."

"Well, apparently they got the bright idea to come and take revenge for that," Minato said dryly. "And if I hadn't come when I did, they probably would've succeeded."

"About that—how come you're coming here at this hour in the first place?" Kushina eyed Minato.

"Well…" Minato's face lost a bit of the business demeanor that had been there moments before. "With all the stress I've had to endure from my job since the whole Parliament incident, I was kind of hoping I could get a little, ahem, early-morning de-stressing from my lovely wife…" and here he gently cupped Kushina's chin in his hand.

"…oh…!" Kushina blushed.

"Oh, geez, the bedroom's right inside, just take your nasty business there already!" Naruto exclaimed in disgust.

"Not yet." Kushina removed Minato's hand from her chin. "Let's question those idiots first, shall we?"

The family walked over to the five injured youths, and Naruto reached down and grabbed the hand of the green-haired guy. "So, buddy-boy, do you start talking or do I start breaking fingers?"

"Ugh…bastard…kiss my ass…!" the would-be arsonist hissed.

"Is that your final answer?" Minato asked ominously. "All right. Kushina." He turned to his wife, his tone completely authoritative. "Go inside and get as much rope as you can. Naruto, search these fellows—if they had gasoline, they're bound to have lighters or matches." He held up the gallon-bottle he'd been holding. "If they wanted to have an early-morning roast, well, they're going to get an early-morning roast."

"Uh-huh…" Knowing the kind of work her husband did, Kushina was well acquainted with _that_ tone of voice. "Coming, dear." She turned and hurried back into the house.

Naruto, too, knew his father's no-nonsense attitude when he saw it. "Yes, sir." And he bent down and began to frisk the green-haired man, though the latter struggled against him.

One of the other intruders, holding his bruised throat, glared at Minato. "The hell are you talking about, man?" he rasped—and suddenly recoiled. "Holy…"

There on Minato's face, emanating from his eyes and spreading to his brow and the corners of his mouth, was a chilling expression that would likely have melted solid steel if it were so possible. "You little sacks of filth were going to murder my wife and son. **You. Have lost. Your right. To LIVE."**

There was a sure promise of death in those words, the five hoodlums realized in that moment. "N-n-n-n-no! No! No! No! NO! NO! Have mercy! It wasn't us! We were hired! Some old guy hired us!" the green-haired punk blubbered, the terror plastered on his face.

" _Who was it?"_ Minato snarled.

Green-hair whimpered. "We never got his name! We just met up at the park and he offered up a big envelope with cash if we'd bump off Uzumaki and his mom! That's it, I swear! I swear!"

"Is that a fact…" Naruto pondered this information. "Well, I can probably understand wanting to kill _me,_ since I was one of the Terrors…but why my mother, too? Wanna elaborate on that, moss-boy?" and he nudged the talkative one with his foot.

"Dude, you'd better tell them…I don't wanna die…" one of the others squeaked out.

"PLEASE TELL THEM ALREADY!" the rest bawled.

Green-hair took one look at Naruto…then at Minato's decidedly murderous expression…and the words came pouring out faster than water from a faucet. "The—the guy—he said something about the lady breaking into his house and threatening him while she was wearing a Shadow Fox costume—said she humiliated him—that's why he wanted her dead, too…"

By this time Kushina was just coming back out with an armful of rope, just in time to hear the thug's explanation. "Eh? Humiliation while I was wearing a Shadow Fox costume?" she asked.

Minato turned his gaze on her, his expression softening; but his voice was still sharp when he spoke. "There's only one person I can think of whom you did something like that to, a good while back…when Naruto was taken captive by Akatsuki and Mizuki's gang."

"…ah." Understanding flashed across Kushina's face. "Well, then…I guess another visit is in order…"

"Um, sorry, you guys…" Naruto caught their attention. "You're talking about that old man Homura, aren't you? The guy who helped in Hanabi's kidnapping that time?"

"Yes, Naruto. That's the same one," Kushina said sourly.

"Hmm…" Naruto looked thoughtfully at the night sky. "I wonder…could I suggest something re him…?"

"Eh?" Minato and Kushina eyeballed their son.

 **OoOoO**

The following morning, Tuesday, October 3, at 7:45 a.m.

Mitokado Homura sat at his dining room table, spreading cream cheese across his toast with a butter-knife. "Ah, such a beautiful morning," he remarked to himself. "I just hope I can hear good news from Sanjiro-kun about his group's efforts, after what he promised me yesterday…"

 _Knock-knock-knock!_

"Eh? Who could that be so early?" Mitokado put down the toast and hurried to the door. "Who is it?"

"I've got a delivery for Mitokado Homura."

"A delivery? For me?" Mitokado looked puzzled as he opened the door. "But who could it be…from…"

There on the porch was a certain blond young man with whisker-like scars on his cheeks, clad in Konoha High School's male uniform, a book-bag over one shoulder and a grin on his face. "Hiya, Homura-jii-san! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I hope you remember me—we spoke on the phone that one time a few months ago!" the visitor said cheerfully.

Mitokado's expression turned frosty. "What do you want?" he asked curtly.

"Oh, just to let you know that the little plot you tried to pull with those guys from my school's former Hall Monitors' Guild didn't quite pan out," Naruto said casually. "Which is why I'm here talking to you instead of being a corpse right now."

Mitokado cocked an eyebrow. "You have no proof of any collaboration between me and anyone from your school, young man."

"Oh, really? Because that's not what _they_ said—they were spilling their guts after they got caught," said Naruto. "In fact, they've been singing like canaries ever since they got handed over to the cops."

"Hmph. Well, whosoever wants to talk, let them talk. They won't be saying anything of substance to implicate me in anything," Mitokado said scornfully.

Naruto shrugged. "Ah, well. Oh, by the way, my father said he hopes to see you again soon."

The puzzled look returned to Mitokado's face. "Boy, what rubbish are you talking? I've never met your father."

"Oh, but you have." Naruto grinned broadly now. "He came to your house late one night some months ago…you invited him in, offered him a drink…he was wearing a hooded jacket…he gave you an update on what Akatsuki had done to me that time…"

Mitokado blinked once—and remembered.

 **OoOoO**

 _The visitor at the door had his face partially concealed by the jacket-hood over his head, with the rain showering down on him. "The boy has been tortured."_

 _"Tortured, eh? Well...I guess one can prolong a bit of fun. Serves the little punk right, too, being a Kyuushingai and all." Mitokado stepped aside. "Hurry up and come in. It's suspicious enough to have a man on my front doorstep at this time of night. I can't have anyone knowing a member of Akatsuki is paying me a visit."_

 **OoOoO**

"…no…" Mitokado could barely hear himself mouth the word even as his face turned deathly pale…and then his knees buckled underneath him…and then _whump._

Naruto looked down keenly at the older man's prone form. "Whoops…I guess his heart couldn't handle that little revelation," he sighed. "Well…at least he's still breathing. But I doubt he's going to be very happy when he wakes up."

The blond boy shrugged and turned away from Mitokado's front door. "Well, anyway, I'd better head on to school or I'll be late!" and with that he hurried off, leaving Mitokado's fainted self at the doorway.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 15

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: And so, this Gaiden chapter establishes Mitokado Homura and the members of the former Hall Monitors' Guild (minus former leader Rokusho Aoi) as members of Naruto's personal rogues' gallery in this story's universe. And yes, I am a big fan of the Rogues Gallery trope, and believe that it should be utilized wherever possible, in whatever work it can be used, even in anime and fan-fiction.

Now, just a note about the Hall Monitors' Guild members as used in this Gaiden chapter: In canon, Yoshida Sanjiro is the canonically-unnamed shinobi who would later become the basis for the first Animal Path. The character named Bunzo was one of the original members of the original Akatsuki, and he wasn't named in canon. Yudachi, in canon, was an agent of Pain from Amegakure. The character of Urushi, in canon, was a former resident of the Konoha orphanage who would later become a member of the Allied Shinobi Forces. And the character of Saisu was one of Itachi's former Academy batch-mates in canon.

And on a no-less-important note, this story's version of Minato IS a black-ops team leader, remember. So while he's had his silly moments in the main story (and they are quite a lot), this Gaiden chapter is here to remind us that, if he really wants, he can scare the living hell out of people. Beware the Silly Ones, indeed.

More Gaidens on the way!


	16. Bully Hunters

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 16 – Bully Hunters**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place beginning on Monday, July 10, between the end of the Underground Fists Arc and the beginning of the Attack of LOVE Arc in the main story.)_

"Iced lemon tea! Come get a tall, refreshing cold glass of iced lemon tea! A great thirst-quencher, ready to beat the hot summer sun, and good for you, too! Just fifteen dollars!"

Hyuga Hanabi, aspiring drink saleswoman and entrepreneur, stood at her carefully-crafted vending stand by the roadside and called out her pitch to anyone who happened to be passing by. "Feeling the summer heat? Want to get cool and stay healthy? Then come right on over and have a glass of Hanabi's iced lemon tea! Just fifteen dollars for one glass!" she cried.

Presently a pair of joggers trotted up to her stand. "Iced lemon tea, eh?" one of them queried. "Let's have a glass, what do you say?"

"I sure could use a quencher right now," the other jogger replied.

"Two glasses it is!" Hanabi said brightly, quickly pouring out two glasses of the beverage for her customers. "And here you go!"

The joggers took their glasses and took a few mouthfuls. "Whew…this is _good!"_ the first jogger exulted. "Little miss, I'll definitely make sure to tell my friends about you!"

"Ah—thank you!" Hanabi blushed.

"And that's fifteen dollars for one glass, right?" the second jogger remarked. "Well, let us just savor this for a bit…" and he put his glass back to his lips and drank some more.

In a few minutes both glasses were empty, and the joggers were pulling out their money and placing it on Hanabi's counter. "Good luck with your sales, little lady!" the first jogger encouraged her, as both of them continued on their way.

"Thank you! Come again!" Hanabi waved farewell to the joggers, before turning her attention to the money they'd left behind. "Wow…I'm really on a roll today!" she beamed, scooping the money up and ducking down behind the stall to place it in a little box she had in her custody, where several coins and bills were already being stockpiled.

"Well, well, well, what have we here…!"

"Hmm?" Hanabi straightened up on hearing the new voice. "Yes, a pleasure to serve…you…today?"

Standing there in front of the stall were two rough-looking men, both clad in purple jackets and bearing sinister grins on their faces. "Yeah, that's right, I THOUGHT I recognized you, squirt," one of them remarked. "Remember me? You bonked me on the head that time at the convenience store."

"Eh?" Hanabi blinked—and the memory came back to her.

 **OoOoO**

 _ **BANG!**_

 _A scream escaped from Hanabi's throat as the cashier, groaning, fell to the floor, now clutching his bleeding shoulder. The gunman was up on one knee, his gun back in his hand, even as he shook his head to clear the stars out of his vision. "Damn you," he glowered, pointing his gun at the guy who'd just kicked him even as he now stood up. "Who the hell do you think you are, eh? I'll teach you a lesson!"_

 _"NO!" Hanabi cried out, grabbing an apple from a nearby fruit stand and flinging it at the gunman's head. It bonked the guy right on the temple, catching him off-guard for a moment...and that was all the newcomer needed._

 _ **"Dynamic Fist! ATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATAAAAAHHH!"**_

 _The stranger's fists moved as fast as lightning, hitting the gunman all over his body before he could think to point his gun forward again. The crook wound up flying right into the door of a nearby fridge, smashing into the glass and slumping to the floor, out cold._

 **OoOoO**

 _Oh, no…I remember these guys…they're the robbers who held up that store I went into, that time after Mizuki and his gang used me as bait to draw in Naruto…_ Now Hanabi swallowed nervously. "Um…"

"If it hadn't been for you, we'd have managed to salvage something from that robbery," the thug who'd spoken continued, glaring at her even as he continued smirking. "Now, how do you suppose we should pay you back, hmm, kiddo?"

"We-e-ell, it won't look too good if we just beat on her—we wouldn't even be able to justify it by saying it was a fight," his companion said reasonably. "BUT—we could do the next best thing, couldn't we? Something like THIS!" and he punctuated the statement by suddenly and violently kicking the stand, causing the drink pitcher and glasses to topple over and crash to the ground.

"Ah! No!" Hanabi wailed, jumping back lest the items should fall on her.

The first thug now joined his buddy in kicking the stand, smashing it into pieces. "You know what, you were right—this does make me feel better!" he gloated. "And what's this I see?" he added, his eye catching some of the money that had fallen to the ground. "Looks like our little friend here made herself some dough! Why not share the earnings?"

"I'm down for that!" the second thug agreed, going over to where the money lay.

"Stop it! Leave it alone! That's my money!" Hanabi screeched, running toward the thief—only to be stopped in her tracks as the other guy roughly grabbed her by the shoulders. "Ow! You're hurting me!"

"Move aside, runt!" her assailant snapped, flinging her away.

"Eek!" Hanabi screamed, falling helplessly…

…and she hit something solid and firm that wasn't the ground, even as a different hand steadied her. "H-huh?" She looked up. "Oh…!"

She'd fallen right into the arms of a very familiar figure with blond hair and whisker-like scars on his cheeks, who even now was eyeing her with concern. "Hey there, pipsqueak," Naruto greeted her. "I thought I'd come check out your little drink-stall…but I didn't know you were demolishing it so soon."

"I'm not!" Hanabi cried, tears welling up in her eyes. "It's their fault! They're robbing me!" she pointed at the two punks.

"Is that right…" Naruto released her and stood up straight. "Oi, you guys, isn't that a little unfair—two big toughs like you ganging up on a little girl?"

The two thugs had paused in their demolition exercise and were giving Naruto a once-over. "Eh? And who do you think you're talking to, dude?" one of them demanded.

"We're with the Purple Storm gang, brat!" the other boasted. "You oppose us, and you'll be digging your own grave!"

"…the Purple Storm gang, huh?" Naruto's eyes narrowed. "I've heard of you guys…you tried to poison a couple of my schoolmates with Gold Sand a while back."

"Eh, so what?" the first thug said carelessly.

"So what?" Naruto repeated. "I'm going to kick your asses, that's 'so what'."

"What'd you say? You really wanna die?" the second thug demanded. "We'll show you!" and he flung his right fist toward Naruto's head…only for Naruto to block the incoming punch with his left arm, then seconds later thrust his right palm into the guy's nose and knock him flat on the ground.

"Wha—! Why, you—!" the first thug charged at Naruto—only to feel Naruto's elbow slam into his gut, then Naruto's elbow crashing into the back of his neck, resulting in his face meeting the sidewalk seconds later. "Ow!"

Naruto swiftly bent down and grabbed both thugs, soon manhandling them into a position where he was tightly holding them under his armpits, around their necks. "I do believe there's something you need to say to my little lady friend here, boys," he said calmly. "So…"

"Boy, you can suck my cAAAAAGH!" one thug's voice soon sounded strangled as Naruto tightened his arm-grip around the guy's neck.

"Hanabi?" Naruto beckoned to the gray-eyed girl.

"Hmph!" Hanabi strode up to them. "You guys should know better than to manhandle a lady! Now I'm going to punish you!" and she swiftly slapped one right across the face, then crossed over to the other and gave him an equally stinging slap.

"Agh! Damn little bitch!" the second thug roared—only to get strangled under Naruto's arm-grip. "Ack! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I take it back!"

"Now, as to what you guys are _supposed_ to say…?" Naruto prompted them with an ominous squeeze under his arms.

"Urk…!" The two gangsters felt their windpipes constricting. "We're very sorry, miss! Please forgive us!" they rasped out.

Hanabi put her hands akimbo on her hips. "I don't know, you guys DID destroy my little business enterprise…oi, Straw-head, can I kick them in the nads?"

"I do believe I could arrange that…" Naruto smirked and began to turn around, dragging the thugs so that their rear ends were facing Hanabi.

"No-no-no-no! We're sorry! We won't do it again! Please forgive us for breaking your stall, miss!" one thug exclaimed.

"Please forgive us! Just don't kick us in the nads!" the other cried—while one of his hands was covertly pulling something shiny out of his pants-pocket.

Hanabi saw it. "KNIFE!"

Naruto's response was swift—he released his arm-lock from around both thugs' necks, grabbed them by their hair, and viciously slammed them head-first into the pavement. "Well, now, that's not nice," he remarked, glancing toward the one who'd been pulling out his weapon. "Okay, pipsqueak, NOW you can kick them in the nads."

"Wait! Wait! No, don't—AAGH!" one thug screamed out as Hanabi's foot made hard contact with his crotch seconds later.

"That's for kicking my stall down," said Hanabi. "And this is for pushing me!" she added, turning to the other thug and readying her foot.

"Mercy!" the thug cried—and the pain erupting in his balls seconds later informed him that the mercy he wanted wasn't going to come.

"I almost feel sorry for you two… _almost."_ Naruto backed off from the gangsters. "Now be good little kids and run along, or I'll introduce MY foot to your nads next."

Groaning in anguish, the two managed to stagger to their feet. "Argh…don't think we'll forget this!" one of them snarled. "You've made a big mistake, making enemies of the Purple Storms!"

"We'll make you pay next time we see you!" the other thug swore, and with that the two limped off.

Naruto rubbed the back of his hand across his brow. "Whew…that was rough…" He turned to Hanabi. "You really saved my bacon there just now, pipsqueak. Thanks."

"Yeah…" Hanabi cast a forlorn glance at her destroyed stall. "Although that doesn't fix my stall…"

"Don't worry, I'll help you set it back up!" Naruto said cheerfully. "After all, if it's not set up, how else am I going to get a taste of your drink that you've been selling? That would just be sad, wouldn't it?"

"Hmm…yeah." Hanabi wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Straw-head. Really."

 **OoOoO**

"I see…so you got manhandled by two brats…and you had the nerve to show your faces back here after such a disgraceful showing?"

The two Purple Storm thugs were sitting cross-legged on the ground, averting their eyes from the speaker. "We're sorry, Tsuchinoe-nee-san," they mumbled.

Standing before them was a rough-looking woman with shoulder-length purple hair and a scowl on her face. "Geez…I know Arashi asked me to be your temporary boss since he can't lead you himself right now while he's on bail, but I honestly didn't think the Purple Storm gang had degraded this much," she growled, giving the duo a dark look. "Well…at least tell me this, then. The guy who beat the crap out of you…did you get his name? Or at least what he looked like?"

One of the thugs swallowed audibly. "Blond hair…scars on both cheeks…looking like whiskers."

"…" Tsuchinoe processed the information. "Blond hair…whisker-like scars on the cheeks…hmm." She folded her arms over her chest and began to pace back and forth, her face a study in concentration. "I think I've heard of somebody like that…they say that's the kid who beat up Mizuki's gang all by himself back in January…and then beat up Konoha High School's whole Hall Monitors' Guild all by himself…that's not something you hear about every day. Still…"

The two thugs watched Tsuchinoe's movements uncertainly as she pulled out a cell-phone.

 **OoOoO**

Arashi, lounging in his bed, felt his cell-phone vibrating on the mattress and quickly picked it up. "Talk to me," he answered the call.

" _It's Tsuchinoe,"_ the caller spoke up. _"Got a bit of bad news…two of your boys got their asses handed to them by a blond kid with whisker-scars on his face earlier today. I'm thinking to check the guy out."_

Arashi furrowed his brow. "A blond kid with whisker-scars on the face? Hmm…I've seen somebody like that hanging around school since the start of this year…"

" _You know how to find him?"_

"I think I might." Arashi's lips curled upward in a nasty smirk. "There's a blond-haired chick who I've seen hanging around that kid at school—her folks run the greengrocery right near where Mizuki's gang got busted back in January. You get to _her,_ and you get to _him._ Got it?"

" _Near the greengrocery…okay, got it. I'll take care of it, then."_

"Right. And, uh…sorry to trouble you like this, Tsuchinoe," said Arashi. "I mean, I can't really get too directly involved with the Purple Storms since I'm on bail right now…"

" _That's why you asked me to be the stand-in leader. Well, you know what they say, one hand washes the other, and all that jazz,"_ Tsuchinoe grunted. _"Anyway, I'll get back to you once this is over."_

 **OoOoO**

Later that afternoon, at the Yamanaka Greengrocery…

Ino hummed to herself as she squirted water from a spray-bottle onto the open displays of lettuce and cabbages on their shelves in a section of the store. "Drink up, boys and girls, you need to stay nice and hydrated," she spoke to the vegetables.

The noise of the front door opening caught her attention. "Hello!" she said automatically, turning around—and then stiffened. "Uh…"

Several rough-looking youths clad in purple jackets with whirlwind designs on the shoulders were entering the store, chuckling menacingly as they did so. At their head was a certain purple-haired woman, looking around the store as she made her entry. "Ah, there you are…so Arashi was right that we'd find you here, blondie," she addressed Ino.

"Arashi…" Ino kept her tone carefully neutral. "And who are _you_ supposed to be? I didn't know the Purple Storms were being led by a woman now."

"The name's Tsuchinoe," the woman answered. "Don't worry, kiddo, we're not here to hurt you. We just want some information on this one guy you've been seen hanging with…a blond guy with whisker-marks on his cheeks. Where can we find him?"

Ino cautiously backed up against the nearest wall, conscious that the thugs were spreading themselves throughout the store; she couldn't see any ready way to escape. "Why? What's he done?" she asked.

"Oh, not much, actually," Tsuchinoe answered, shrugging. "Just that he mistreated two of our guys earlier today, and now I and the gang want to have a little _chat_ with him about that." Then she strode across the aisle and right up to Ino. "Now. Where can we find him?"

 **OoOoO**

"Yosh!" Lee said triumphantly as he stepped back and wiped his forearm across his brow. "Finished at last, and it's better than it was before!"

Naruto also stepped back and nodded. "Let's see anybody try to knock it down _this_ time!" he said.

Stars shone in Hanabi's eyes. "Lee-nii-san…Straw-head…you really went the distance on this…!"

Standing before them was the drink-stand, re-erected at the same spot on the sidewalk and bolstered with extra building material. "Thanks for coming to help with this, Fuzzy-brows, especially on such short notice," said Naruto.

"But of course! Hanabi-chan was the one who needed it, and if it's for Hanabi-chan, nothing less than the best will do!" said Lee. "Now all that's needed is to replace the drinking jug and the glasses…"

"And I can make a fresh batch of iced lemon tea for tomorrow!" Hanabi said cheerfully.

"But I'm concerned about something else…" Lee's joviality faded. "Hanabi-chan…the men who broke your stall earlier…you're sure they're the same ones who came to rob that convenience store we were at, that night?"

"Yeah, I'm positive," said Hanabi. "And they said they're from that Purple Storm gang. But Naruto beat them up easily!"

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "You think they might come back and make trouble again?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," Lee said gravely.

Just then Naruto's phone buzzed in his pocket. "Oops, sorry about that, let's see who this is," he commented, taking the phone out and looking at the caller-ID. "Oh, it's Ino…I wonder what she wants," and he answered it with a flourish. "Y'allo, Ino, what's up?"

" _Hey…I've got some folks here at the store…they want to talk to—hey!"_

"Ino?" Naruto said sharply.

" _Howdy there,"_ a different feminine voice came on the line. _"I'm assuming you're the one who beat up two of our guys earlier this morning, right? Well, I'm with the Purple Storm gang, and we're not leaving your little friend's store until you come to settle things with us. Clock's ticking, scar-face—don't keep us waiting."_

 _CLICK._

Naruto lowered the phone, his expression grim. "Uh…problem?" Hanabi frowned on seeing his face.

"Yeah." Naruto looked at Lee. "Hey, Fuzzy-brows, you mind taking a stroll with me? Those Purple Storms are at the Yamanaka store, and they've got my friend in a tight spot right now. I'm sure they're setting up a trap for me."

"Ah—like when Mizuki's gang held you captive, yes?" Lee's face was serious, now, too. "I understand."

"You guys are going to face that gang?" Hanabi looked worried now. "Are you sure it'll be okay?"

"Don't worry, pipsqueak—it'll be fine." Naruto tousled Hanabi's hair a bit. "Let's go," he spoke to Lee.

"Yosh! Let's go save your friend with youthful vigor!" Lee crowed, punching the air.

 **OoOoO**

The minutes ticked by.

"Your buddy's taking his own sweet time to get here, babe," Tsuchinoe grumbled, checking her watch. "Maybe he doesn't care that much about you after all?"

Ino, standing in a corner with three Purple Storms keeping guard over her, shot her a defiant look. "Or maybe he's just dawdling to give you and your goons time to vamoose before he tears you all a new one," she replied.

"Hmph. Funny," Tsuchinoe scoffed.

"Oi! Tsuchinoe-nee-san!" a rough voice called from outside. "That guy's here—and he's got back-up!"

"Oh?" Tsuchinoe straightened up. "Well, now…"

The Purple Storms inside the store now stepped outside to join those already waiting out front—and sure enough, a blond boy with whisker-marks on his cheeks and another boy with dark bowl-cut hair and fuzzy eyebrows were making their way toward the store. "That one with the blond hair—that's the one who beat us today!" one of the thugs informed Tsuchinoe.

"And that guy with him—he beat us back when we tried to rob that store that time!" the thug beside him recalled.

"Hmm. Well, two for the price of one, eh?" Tsuchinoe chuckled.

The two newcomers were now ten feet away from the gang. "So you're the Purple Storms…come crawling out of the woodwork, huh?" the blond boy asked.

"You've got a real mouth on you there, kid," said Tsuchinoe. "But you've made a big mistake, making an enemy out of us like you've done. And from what I'm hearing, your fuzzy-browed friend has some answering to do for when he roughed up two of the boys a while back, too…so neither of you is going away from this without a scratch."

"Naruto! Lee-san!"

The two boys looked up in time to see Ino at the door of the greengrocery. "I've already phoned the cops—they'll be here soon!" she cried.

But Tsuchinoe scoffed. "Not soon enough to make a difference," she declared. "Boys, get 'em!"

At once the Purple Storm gangsters pulled out a whole volley of knives, chains, iron pipes, and baseball bats, chuckling darkly as they marched toward the two boys. For his part, Naruto looked over at Lee. "You ready for this?"

"Yosh!" Lee slammed one fist into an open palm. "Let's see how youthfully vigorous these guys are!"

Several Purple Storms were near enough to start swinging their weapons—but suddenly one found his baseball bat blocked and his assaulting arm twisted hard as Naruto wrung his wrist with violence; seconds into that action, Naruto swung one foot up and kicked another gangster hard on the side of his neck, knocking him flat. Lee, meanwhile, swiftly dodged one thug's butterfly-knife slashes, then sidestepped the punk's attempted stabbing thrust and countered with a vicious elbow to the face, knocking his hapless target over and out. The other advancing gangsters quickly responded, charging at the duo with screams of fury—but Naruto ran up to them, jumped onto one's knee, leaped up onto another's head, and stomped from one head to the next in rapid succession; Lee, taking advantage of those gangsters' disorientation, swung his fists with lightning-fast precision, smashing several jaws and felling the thugs right there.

Tsuchinoe watched all this with eyes widened in disbelief. "What're you doing? It's just two of them!"

Several other Purple Storms readied themselves with knives and batons—but suddenly one found himself knocked over by a pair of feet, and he crashed into his buddies, all of them toppling over like a stack of dominoes. "What…!" Tsuchinoe sputtered.

Ino was standing there, straightening up from the flying kick she'd successfully pulled off. "You miscounted—it's three of us here," she declared.

Tsuchinoe gritted her teeth in aggravation. "You'd have been better off if you'd quietly stayed in your shop, little lady," she snarled. "But now you get to feel the pain…" and she glanced out of the corner of her eye at the goons Ino had kicked down even as they now stood back up. "Boys, give her the pain."

"YOU TAKE IT FIRST!"

The next thing the gangsters knew, two pairs of fists shot forward and rammed them in their faces, knocking them back down. A moment later Naruto and Lee stood next to Ino, while the thugs they'd just pummeled were facing the concrete anew, moaning in pain. "Now, then," Naruto spoke up. "From my count, that's ten down now…and only one to go."

"Actually…" Tsuchinoe smirked. "You're the one miscounting now. This gang's a whole lot more than just ten goons." Suddenly she put her fingers to her mouth and whistled sharply and loudly. "Oi, Purple Storm reserves! Come on out and teach these little wretches a lesson!"

…and there was no reply.

"Hmm…" Naruto looked around. "What's this? Nobody coming?" He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Oi, Purple Storms! Your boss said to come beat us up! What's the matter—you chicken?"

Tsuchinoe's smirk lessened. "Guys…" she called out, sounding more worried than confident.

"Oh, perhaps we should elaborate?" Lee commented. "It's fairly well-known that the Purple Storm gang is one of the larger delinquent groups in Konoha Town, and Naruto-kun suspected you might try an ambush tactic…just like Mizuki did that time when his group kidnapped Hyuga Hanabi. So he and I circled the block well ahead of time, picked out your thugs who were hiding in the surrounding alleys, and we dealt with them as quietly as we could so as to keep any of them from alerting you. So, in other words, no reinforcements for you."

"I know about how your big boss Arashi used your gang's numbers to overwhelm my schoolmates that time when they came to your junkyard hangout to confront the lot of you," Naruto took up the tale. "Too bad you can't do it this time, though."

"Y-y-you're lying!" Tsuchinoe shouted. "There's no way you could've taken down the gang just like that!" She turned wildly to one side, her voice getting far louder. "Purple Storms! Get your asses out here NOW!"

"…ow…agh…" A reply came from a nearby alley, the speaker sounding like he was straining to be audible enough. "Nee-san…can't move…leg busted…"

From behind a building not far away, two other Purple Storm gangsters shambled into view…and one was holding his midsection while the other's right arm hung uselessly at his side, both of them wearing expressions of agony. "S…sorry…nee-san," the one with the injured arm gasped out. "Ugh…don't feel so good…" and here he collapsed to his knees, followed by his companion a second later.

The blood drained from Tsuchinoe's face as she took in this development. Then she turned to look at Naruto and Lee again. "…who the hell _are_ you?" she asked in a strained voice.

"The guys who're gonna beat the piss out of you," Naruto said shortly.

 _Whoop-whoop-whoop!_

"Cripes…the cops!" Tsuchinoe hissed. "Damn it! I'll get you guys back for this—just you wait!" and with that she turned and ran off. "Purple Storms, retreat!" she flung over her shoulder.

"Hey, come back here!" Naruto prepared to give chase—only for Lee and Ino to grab him by the shoulders. "What're you doing, you guys?" he demanded.

"Oh, let her go, Naruto—I think it's enough to see these guys having been beaten down," said Ino, and she watched with some satisfaction on her face as some of the Purple Storm gangsters, picking themselves up with much obvious discomfort, shambled away from the scene. "Yep, this proves they're nothing more than cowards who'll run when things don't go their way."

"I agree—it's actually rather fitting, for them to feel the shame of defeat in this way," said Lee. "I doubt we'll be seeing these guys again anytime soon."

"Hmm…I guess we'll see," said Naruto, even as the flashing blue lights of the approaching police vehicle now came into view along the avenue.

 **OoOoO**

"DAMN IT!"

Tsuchinoe slammed a fist into the wall, punctuating her indignant shout. "Crap…to think the gang got taken out like that…even the ones that were hiding close by the greengrocery…damn it all!"

"Oi, oi. Don't get so melodramatic, Tsuchinoe."

She glanced across the room at the speaker—Arashi, still lounging on his bed. "Melodramatic? What the hell are you saying?" she asked indignantly. "Didn't you hear what I just said? The Purple Storm gang got their asses kicked—by a bunch of kids, at that!"

"Well, that simply proves these aren't your everyday normal kids," Arashi said calmly. "Especially that one with the whisker-marks…he sounds more interesting than your run-of-the-mill street fighter."

"Hmph. I'm glad to see you're taking this so calmly," Tsuchinoe said sarcastically. "Especially considering it's _your_ gang that got totally schooled like this. But now what?"

"Now…we find out all we can about the guy," said Arashi. "Isn't that the sort of thing you're supposed to be good at, Tsuchinoe—digging up dirt on people? After all…" His eyes narrowed. "…isn't that what you used to do back when you had your badge?"

Tsuchinoe snorted. "That was a lifetime ago…but you've got a point. We need to know everything there is to know about who we're up against, if this punk kid had enough brains to scope out the area before taking us on directly."

"Yeah." Arashi nodded. "No arguing with that."

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 16

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Another Gaiden completed, a new villain introduced…and not just a new villain, but a female villain who used to be a cop!

Now, in canon, Tsuchinoe was an ANBU member affiliated with Danzo…which pretty much means that I had enough leeway to use her as a villain in this story's universe. And while she's got affiliation (however loosely) with the Purple Storm gang, who themselves are going to be recurring nemeses in Naruto's personal villains' gallery, I intend to make Tsuchinoe a mainstay in said gallery in her own right as well.

And, to be frank, when I looked at Naruto's list of enemies between the main story and the Gaiden chapters, I realized that that list lacked something important: female villains who weren't subordinates (even Temari, Matsuri and Kurotsuchi in this universe are Gaara's henchwomen in the Council of the Dawn, after all). So, there'll be a few more female villains who are enemies in their own right, and they'll get enough opportunities to shine along with the male members of the list. A Rogues' Gallery can't be boring, after all.

Soooo…more Gaidens to come!


	17. Juice

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 17 - Juice**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place beginning on Tuesday, July 11, immediately after the previous Gaiden chapter, between the end of the Underground Fists Arc and the beginning of the Attack of LOVE Arc in the main story.)_

9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 11 saw Kushina busy in the Uzumaki home, not now in the kitchen as one would expect, but in the living room, dusting the furniture with a chamois cloth in one hand and fiery energy in her movements. "Would've been nice of Naruto to stick around and help me with the chores, but noooooo, he just _had_ to go on his 'little errand'," she grumbled to herself. "As if he hasn't seen enough excitement already in the last few days…surely even the LOVE syndicate can wait a little while until our house is clean enough to receive guests, can't they?"

 _Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock!_

"And who would that be now?" Kushina muttered to herself, her dusting movements slowing. "Yes, who is it?"

"My name is Tanzaku Susuki, from the Bounti-Juice fruit-juice plant in Yu City. I've got a few sneak-preview sample products I'd like to showcase for you, if you have the time."

Kushina cocked an eyebrow at that. "Just a minute!" she called, stuffing the chamois cloth into a pocket of her apron, smoothing her hair back with one hand, and hurrying to the door to open it. "Yes…"

Standing outside the door was a woman with long brown hair and light-brown eyes, dressed in a tan-colored sleeveless top and a long skirt that stopped just above her ankles, with a knee-high split along the side of the skirt; in one hand she held a cloth bag by its handle. "Hello there," the newcomer greeted Kushina. "Sorry to bother you—it seems I've caught you at an inconvenient time…"

"No, no, it's fine," Kushina assured her. "So, Bounti-Juice…that's the new fruit-juice brand that debuted last year, isn't it?"

"The very same," said Susuki. "I'm their marketing manager. My card," and she reached into a pocket, pulled out a business card, and handed it to Kushina.

"Hmm…I see," Kushina examined the card. "Well, I take it you had a good trip coming here?"

"An easy drive, actually," and Susuki gestured behind her, where Kushina now saw that a yellow Ford Mustang was parked along the roadway just outside, with a tuxedoed man sitting at the wheel and casually fiddling with a smart-phone. "With a chauffeur as laid-back as anything else," Susuki added.

"I can see that." Kushina looked back at her visitor. "Well, then…you said you've got some sneak-preview samples to showcase."

"Yes, I do have some samples of our newest juice flavors here with me," said Susuki, reaching her free hand into the cloth bag and pulling out a plastic bottle with bright red beverage inside. "This is our brand-new peach flavor. Would you like to give it a try?"

Kushina eyed the bottle with interest. "Well, it's a free sample, so…why not?" she remarked, reaching out and taking the bottle from the other woman. "Uh, would you like to come in? You could maybe show off whatever other new products you have much better on the inside—but please excuse the condition of the place…"

"That's quite fine. I'm coming in, then," and Susuki slipped her shoes off and came into the doorway.

 **OoOoO**

"Eh? You wanted to ask about Tsuchinoe?" Inuzuka Tsume cocked an eyebrow at the blond-haired boy standing before her desk.

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "Even though my friends and I already submitted our statements yesterday with what she and those Purple Storm gangsters did…I just think I'd like to be on my guard and know what I'm up against with them, for next time, you know?"

Tsume fingered her chin. "I trust that doesn't mean you're going to go chasing after them to exact revenge, right? I'd think you have enough on your plate, what with your instructions from the National Security Ministry concerning LOVE."

"Well, compared to LOVE, Tsuchinoe and the Purple Storms are going to be a bunch of annoyances at the worst," said Naruto. "Putting aside how they tried to poison my schoolmates with Gold Sand pills that time when I wasn't here," he added in a grumbling tone.

"Annoyances for you, perhaps…but…" Tsume shook her head. "The Purple Storm gang, along with the other gangs that have been plaguing the streets of Konoha Town, they will always be a major headache for us as cops. But by themselves they wouldn't be so bad…however…since you said in your statements yesterday that Tsuchinoe was with them…"

"What's so special about her?" Naruto wondered aloud.

Tsume looked him right in the eye. "I'll be very direct about this. Tsuchinoe used to be one of ours."

"Eh?" Naruto blinked. "Wait—she was a cop?"

"Specifically, she was a member of our Special Operations Unit," said Tsume. "Her role was to worm her way into the various gangs, learn all she could about them, and provide the intelligence necessary for us to break up their operations. She was good at what she did…but…" Her gaze fell to the top of her desk. "There are only so many times you can send a cop into the underworld before they get tainted by the shadiness they're supposed to be stopping."

"So she went bad…" Naruto said knowingly and humorlessly.

"It was likely a combination of factors," said Tsume. "When you're working undercover, you have to take a lot of care to make sure nobody puts two and two together about who you really are—that means you have to be as far out of the spotlight as you can be. Tsuchinoe had established herself really deeply in Konoha Town's underbelly by the time she turned…I guess she decided to make the 'bad girl' reputation real so as not to complicate things. In any event…we lost a great cop."

"How dangerous is she, really?" asked Naruto.

"Well, she's been off the radar for some time," Tsume explained. "In fact, we haven't heard of her pulling any stunts for several months now…your run-in with her yesterday would be the first time she's popped her head up in a long time. But one thing I _will_ say about her that was always evident even before she turned heel—when she holds a grudge, _she holds a grudge._ Given your account of what you did to counter her and the Purple Storm gang yesterday, Tsuchinoe's not likely to let it slide."

 _Brrrng! Brrrng! Brrrng!_

The noise of a cell-phone ringing broke into the conversation. "Ah, sorry, that's my phone," Naruto apologized as he pulled it out and eyed the caller-ID. "Hmm, Mom's calling from the house-phone…hello?" he answered it.

" _Good afternoon, Uzumaki-kun,"_ a completely unexpected voice came into his ear. _"Pardon me for using your mother's phone to call you, but I'm currently visiting with her at your house just now."_

Naruto's face immediately went all-business. "Who is this, please?" he asked.

" _Tanzaku Susuki is my name,"_ the caller replied. _"Would you be a dear and hurry home as soon as possible? I'd really prefer to see you in person instead of just talking over the phone…and your mother can't exactly hold a conversation to keep me engaged right now."_

"I'm on my way," Naruto said shortly, before hanging up. Then he looked at Tsume. "Sorry, but I gotta run. Something's come up at home."

"No problem," said Tsume. "Just watch your back for Tsuchinoe and the Purple Storms, got it?"

"Will do," said Naruto, flashing a two-finger salute.

 **OoOoO**

A little while later, Naruto showed up back at his house, and the first thing that caught his eye was the flashy yellow car outside on the curb. "That's not a usual thing here," he muttered, hurrying to the driver's side. "Oi!" he barked at the driver.

"Huh?" Startled out of his smart-phone-induced reverie, the driver looked up at Naruto's suspicious face. "Oh, hey—you must be that Uzumaki kid Tanzaku-sama came here to see—she said you'd have whisker-marks on the face," he commented.

"Where is she?" Naruto asked in a low tone.

"She already went inside," and the driver jabbed his thumb in the direction of Naruto's front door.

Without another word, Naruto hurried up to the porch and opened the door. "Hello?" he called.

"In the living room," Susuki's now-familiar voice came to him from that direction.

Eyes narrowing, Naruto walked toward the living room…and sitting there on the couch was Susuki with her cloth bag beside her, giving him a very pleasant smile…and sitting on the far end of said couch was Kushina, lying limp against the cushions. "Mom…!" Naruto's eyes widened.

"I had her ingest a rather powerful drug earlier," Susuki spoke up. "She won't be interfering now."

Naruto looked from his mother to Susuki. "What is this about?" he demanded.

"It's about revenge." Susuki's smile didn't diminish, but her eyes were narrowed. "You cost me quite a pretty penny when last I saw you in Yu City, Uzumaki-kun. I intend to make you pay for what I lost."

"What are you talking about? I've never met you before today!" Naruto snapped.

"Oh, not in person, you haven't," Susuki affirmed. "But think back to your recent visit to Yu City. Do you remember what you went there for, and what transpired?"

 **OoOoO**

 _"Uzumaki-kun versus these three remaining fighters, atop this table!" Yura declared. "Given the size of the table, the fights will be one-on-one, but anyone who falls off the table automatically loses. Now, ladies and gentlemen, how say you?"_

 _"I'll bet $20 million on the three fighters!" one man immediately shouted._

 _"I'll bet $70 million!" another yelled._

 _"I'm betting $100 million for the three guys!" a woman cried._

 **OoOoO**

"I see…you were one of the gamblers at Yura's little get-together," Naruto said slowly.

"I was," Susuki nodded. "I lost good money because of you that night…and I can only thank my lucky stars that I managed to evade being arrested by the police following the chaos that broke out after. But you played a big role in my losses during that event…so now I've come to return the favor."

"Even so, how'd you manage to find my home address?" Naruto wondered.

"It doesn't take rocket science, my dear," Susuki replied. "You were with Uchiha Sasuke that night. Everybody knows the Uchiha family hails from here in Konoha Town. And all I had to do was look through the phone book for any persons with the surname Uzumaki, living in Konoha Town…and the name Uzumaki Kushina stood out like a sore thumb. From there, I just had to take advantage of my position with the Bounti-Juice company to secure samples of our newest product line and come here under the guise of giving sneak preview samples. And your mother," indicating the still-unconscious Kushina, "was quite easily taken in."

"Uh-huh," Naruto said dryly. "So what now? Are you going to just kill me here?"

"Come now, I'm not _that_ crass," said Susuki. "I've prepared something a little more interesting than that, to at least give you a sporting chance. Take a look over at the dining table, if you please…" and she gestured toward the table with one hand.

Turning to look, Naruto saw something he hadn't noticed before: a round turntable placed in the middle of the dining table. "I had that item fashioned specifically for my visit here today," Susuki told him. "We're going to play a little game with it…I call this game Juice Roulette."

"…Juice Roulette? Really?" Naruto made a face.

"Oh, you'll soon see it's not as silly as it sounds," said Susuki, and now she got up, picking up her cloth bag in the process, and walked over to the table. "Won't you join me? We'll sit across from each other, with the turntable directly in between us."

"And why should I even agree to this? Who's to say I can't just knock you on your butt?" Naruto asked, heat rising in his tone.

"Your mother will be depending rather heavily on the outcome of this little game." Susuki smirked. "If you refuse or try to leave now, or attack me…who knows what'll happen to her, eh?"

Gritting his teeth, Naruto walked toward the table; soon they were sitting at the table as Susuki had directed. She, in turn, reached into her bag and took out six Bounti-Juice bottles, all containing a bright yellow liquid. "These are preview samples of our company's new banana flavor," she explained. "However…one of these bottles contains a powerful drug, as potent as the one I gave your mother." Then she placed each bottle, one by one, into a holder around the edge of the turntable. "We'll take turns spinning the turntable, and the bottle that comes right in front of us when it stops spinning, we'll drink that bottle till it's empty. Of course, whichever one of us gets the drugged bottle loses…it may well be the last nap you ever take…one you may _never_ wake up from."

"Am I to assume this drug is tasteless and odorless?" asked Naruto.

"Indeed," said Susuki. "Otherwise, you'd be able to tell the drugged bottle apart from the others too easily, and then where would the fun be in that? Now…shall we get started?"

"Ladies first," said Naruto.

"Heh. Of course." Susuki gripped the edge of the turntable and gave it a swing; moments later the turntable spun fast, the bottles twirling round and round…then slowing…then coming to a stop…and one bottle was directly in front of her, and she took it up and uncorked it with a flourish. "Bottoms up," she declared, and quickly drank from the bottle till it was empty. "Well, that's the first one drained dry," she said, setting the bottle aside.

"I'm sure you've drained a lot of banana-themed things dry in your time," Naruto deadpanned.

Susuki stared at him for a full five seconds…then she burst out laughing. "Ha, ha, ha, ha! Oh, goodness me, that's actually a good zinger! I need to remember that!" Her laughter faded, though her smile didn't. "And I'll be honest—I've had quite a few young and strong men who've been subjected to _my_ level of experience…if I was of a mind, I'd probably add _you_ to the collection…"

Naruto immediately became aware of a foot caressing his knee under the table. His face remained impassive, however. "Sorry, but there's a girl who's already shown her interest in me."

"…oh." Susuki's smile thinned a little and she nodded, even as the foot was quickly withdrawn under the table. "My apologies for that, then."

Naruto gripped the turntable. "My turn." And he spun it and then watched as the bottles went round and round…and gradually slowed…and a bottle stopped in front of him. Without another word he took the bottle up, uncorked it, and drank down its contents.

"You're brave," Susuki commented as Naruto slapped the now-empty bottle down on the table.

"So are you—coming to my home and challenging me like this," said Naruto.

"Well, it's the only way I _would_ be able to challenge you, Uzumaki-kun. After all, I'm no fighter," Susuki admitted. "However, there are some problems in this world that you can't solve simply by punching them—this is one of them. And now…I do believe it's my turn." She spun the turntable again and watched as the four remaining bottles whirled around in their places…then they slowed to a stop…and an empty space on the turntable was directly in front of her. "And I seem to have lucked out on this turn."

"Then it's my turn again." Naruto spun the turntable once more; as it stopped with a full bottle before him, he quickly drank down the fresh beverage and set the bottle aside. "Now you."

Susuki spun the turntable again…the three remaining bottles spun round and round…then slowed…and this time a bottle stopped before her, and without a word she uncorked it and drank its contents completely. "Mmm-hmm," she nodded as she set that bottle aside.

Naruto cast a glance toward Kushina, still unconscious on the couch; then he looked at the two remaining bottles on the turntable. _Two bottles left…and if I slip up on this, then Mom…_

He gripped the turntable and spun it once again. It went round and round…and came to a stop…and there was an empty space before him. "I guess I've gotten lucky…wish I could say the same for my mother," he said ruefully.

"Oh, you needn't worry about her _yet,"_ said Susuki. "If you want for her to recover from what I've drugged her with, you're going to have to beat this little challenge. And if you don't…well, I'll just let you use your imagination to fill in the rest." And she spun the turntable—and it stopped at an empty spot for her. "The stakes are higher now that there are fewer bottles to encounter in this game."

Naruto wordlessly spun the turntable again—and it stopped on an empty spot. Then Susuki spun it—empty. Then Naruto spun—empty. Then Susuki spun once more—empty. Then Naruto spun yet again—empty.

"This is getting old," Naruto sighed.

Susuki spun again—and this time it stopped on one of the two remaining bottles. _Well…a fifty-fifty shot at this point…_ She eyed Naruto. _Will I luck out on this one? Or…_

"Getting cold feet so soon?" Naruto queried. "Maybe you're second-guessing your chances of winning."

"Pfft. Don't underestimate me, boy—I'm an experienced gambler," Susuki scoffed.

"Then how come you lost when I was at Yura's get-together that night?" Naruto asked pointedly.

"You win some, you lose some. It happens," Susuki replied.

"Then why are you so determined to get back at me for the millions you bet and lost?" Naruto countered. "I guess you're just a sore loser."

"Let's see if you'll still be talking that way once I've won this game." Susuki snatched up the drink, pulled off the cork, and gulped the whole bottle down. "And…there!" she said triumphantly, slapping the bottle down on the table. "No cowardice there!"

"Right." Naruto spun the turntable once again…and an empty spot came before him when it stopped. "Okay, so…the odds of either of us getting this last bottle are one in six. If we keep spinning this thing and constantly get empty spaces, we'll be here all day."

"I've got time…" Susuki blinked. "Uh…I've…got…"

Naruto cocked an eyebrow at her—wait—why were there suddenly two—no, four—no, _more_ of him in front of her? "What's the matter, lady?" he asked—and his voice seemed inexplicably multiplied and distorted all at once. "You look…a little…tired…"

 _N-no…impossible…did I really get the drugged bottle? But…when…how…_

As Susuki slumped over the top of the table, Naruto jumped up and ran around to her side. "Where's the antidote?" he asked urgently. "Tell me fast before…!"

"Sleeping…powder…" Susuki managed to mumble out. "Same…like your mom…really…strong…stuff…" and then she sighed and was still.

"Sleeping powder, huh?" Naruto repeated. "Hmm…then it's just a matter of waiting till it wears off…although who knows how long that'll be…"

 **OoOoO**

Half an hour later… "Mmm…"

"Oh, hey, Kushina, glad to have you back."

"Huh?" Kushina blinked rapidly as consciousness came back to her, and she saw Naruto sitting over where she lay on the couch. "Naruto…what happened?" she asked groggily.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Naruto asked.

"Um…a marketing exec from the Bounti-Fruit company came here and offered me a drink sample, and I drank it, and…" Kushina paused. "I just felt really sleepy after that…I guess I was really tired out from all the cleaning I was doing up to when she arrived…" Then she looked at him. "And it's YOUR fault, you know! Your poor mother works so hard day in and day out to keep this house in order, and would you even do so much as pick up a broom and a dustpan to help? Noooooo, you just go about your own little business! Shame on you!"

"Hmm." Naruto gave her a long look.

"In any event, where is the lady?" Kushina looked around. "Has she left already?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "She was still here when I got back, but I kept her engaged. But now she should be on her way back to Yu City…and don't worry, I made sure to send her on her way with memories of her visit here that she won't soon forget."

Kushina blinked. "What does that mean?" she asked. "Wait a minute—were you doing things with the woman that you shouldn't have been doing? I'll tell Hinata on you!"

"In your dreams, you perverted cucumber-lover!" Naruto snapped with fangs in his mouth.

"Why, you…!" Kushina lunged at him to strangle him—and he jumped out of the way and ran to his room, slamming the door shut behind him.

 **OoOoO**

At around the same time Kushina was regaining consciousness…

"Mmm…" Susuki groaned as consciousness came back to her. "Wha…?"

"Oh, you're awake now. Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Huh?" Blinking, Susuki soon noted that she was in the back of her car, and the scenery outside was moving. "Where…?" she asked the driver.

"En route back to Yu City, ma'am," the driver said casually. "That Uzumaki kid had me load you back in the car, and he said to take you straight home…and also to tell you that if you ever showed up at his house again the way you've done today, he'll force-feed you your own drinks till you puke."

"Ugh…" Susuki rubbed her forehead with one hand. "How long have I been out?"

"Just about half an hour," the driver replied.

"…I see. All right, let's go home." Susuki sighed. _So it looks like I lost out because of you once again, Uzumaki-kun…_

Then her eyes caught the driver's rear-view mirror—and she saw something strange. "Um…is there something written on my forehead?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," the driver replied in the same casual tone. "The kid wrote that message on your forehead before you got loaded in the car…and I think he wrote it in permanent marker too."

Susuki looked carefully in the rear-view mirror in an effort to decipher the message, as it appeared backwards in the mirror. "…I'll…drain your banana dry…any way you want…?" she read aloud.

The driver had to fight not to snicker.

"THAT CHEEKY LITTLE BRAT!" Susuki exploded. "Though it _is_ pretty funny, but still—DAMN CHEEKY!"

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 17

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: In canon, Susuki was one of the girls Jiraiya was fooling around with (and spending Naruto's money on) at the Tanzaku Quarters gambling house; she takes her surname in this story from the name of that same establishment.

Yes, as it turns out, Susuki was in fact one of the gamblers present at Yura's get-together during the Underground Fists arc in the main story. And yes, Naruto really did troll her that way at the end of this Gaiden. Will we see more of her? Yes, we will.

More Gaidens to come!


	18. Father and Daughter

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 18 – Father and Daughter**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place on Tuesday, August 1, one week after the events at Parliament in the final arc of the main story.)_

"Hmm…here you go, and here, and here…no, you don't belong here…" Karui muttered to herself as she stocked the shelves of the music store where she was still employed. "Pop genre CDs belong on the other side of the aisle…" and with that she took the offending CD cases off the shelf and placed them in the box she was carrying.

She heard the door to the front entrance swing open somewhere behind her, the bells above the door jingling in the process. "Welcome!" one of the other girls on duty gave greeting a moment later. "How may we help you today, sir?"

"Hello there…I'm told my daughter Karui is working here…is she around?"

In the act of placing a CD on the shelf at that moment, Karui froze right there. _That voice…_

"Hey, Karui! Your father's here!"

She found her voice. "Y-yeah…coming." Then she placed the CD on the shelf, hoisted the box under her arm as best she could, and walked out in the direction of the entrance…and she stopped on seeing who was there with the store's greeter. "Ah…"

Standing there was a large, dark-skinned man with bright red hair and an equally crimson beard; he was now looking in her direction. "Hey, Karui," he said in a subdued tone.

She nodded. "Hey, Dad."

The greeter looked from father to daughter and back again. "Wow, you two really are family…I can see it right there."

"Yeah," said Karui. "This is my dad…Komatsu Banna."

"A pleasure," and Banna gave a polite bow to the greeter. "Well, I came to see Karui, but I wouldn't want to infringe on her work-time, so…"

"Oh, no, no, no, it's fine," the greeter assured him. "Hey, Karui, go ahead and take a few minutes, eh? It'll soon be time for your lunch break anyway, right? Take it early, as a matter of fact."

"…yeah," said Karui. "Just…just let me finish this that I'm handling here, okay?" and she gestured to the box she was carrying. "We can talk together afterward."

"No problem," Banna nodded at her.

 **OoOoO**

Ten minutes later, father and daughter were sitting together in a restaurant just across from the music store, with a server taking their orders. "I'll take a chicken Alfredo pasta dish with a fruit punch, please," said Karui.

"And I'll have a barbecue chicken pizza, medium sized, with an orange juice," said Banna.

"Thank you, madam, sir," said the server. "Your orders will be along in fifteen minutes." And he turned and left the pair to themselves.

"So…" Karui eyed her father. "What brings you here, Dad? I'd think your job would have you being too busy to have time for us…"

"I heard about what happened here in Konoha Town, when those goons from the LOVE syndicate attacked," Banna replied. "I managed to secure some time off so I could come and see you—had to play the 'family emergency' card to do it, but…here I am."

"Uh-huh," Karui said quietly.

Banna sighed heavily. "Karui…I know you're likely still mad at me for not being there more often…"

"No, Dad. I get it. You're part of the security detail for the Minister of Tourism. Your job takes you all over the world. It's natural that you wouldn't be here as often." Karui's eyes narrowed. "At least, I wouldn't have a problem if _that_ was the only issue I'd have to contend with…but…"

"Your mother's still giving you a hard time, huh?" Banna asked knowingly.

"…every day." Karui lowered her gaze. "And you caused it to happen…when you walked out on us…"

Banna closed his eyes, his brow furrowing as a grimace came over the rest of his face. "You must really resent me, huh…"

"Dad, it's not as if I don't know _why_ you left. I get it. I experience it every day. Mom was a major head-case, and you just couldn't deal. Anybody would've just thrown up their hands and split long ago." Karui sighed. "I just don't think it's fair that you left me to deal with that baggage in your place."

"Karui…I wish I could say or do something to make the situation better. If I knew of any other way to handle the issues I was having with your mother…and if I knew of any way I could've spared you that burden…" Banna shook his head. "In any case, I suppose it's too late for wishful thinking now. It's been five years, after all…"

"Just tell me this, Dad." Karui eyed him intently. "What did you ever see in Mom to marry her?"

At that, Banna chuckled. "When I met your mother, she was a real go-getter…Amayo had energy, she had drive, and she knew what she wanted and how to get it. What I didn't know at the time was how determined she was to get what she wanted even when it was clear she couldn't have it." He looked to one side. "An aspiring musician…but she buckled under the pressure of her music degree program and flunked out. If she'd been able to stay the course, she'd have gotten a prestigious internship with the country's most noteworthy classical orchestra. That was her dream—to become a famous classical violinist…and it became all she ever talked about, even when we were courting."

"And it's all she ever talks about now, even years after the fact." Karui shook her head.

"She told me about the incident that led to you working at the music store. She was not pleased, let me tell you." Banna gave his daughter a gentle look. "Honestly, Karui, I can't say I approve of what you did, either—but at least I understand _why_ you did it…"

"…just like I understand why you left," Karui cut in. "So I guess it's full circle now."

"Maybe." It was all Banna said.

They sat in silence for a minute. Then Banna cleared his throat. "So…I understand there's a former member of the Nine Terrors living here in Konoha Town."

"Yeah." Karui nodded. "I've met him. He's…not all that scary, actually. He's actually pretty cool. He goes to the same school as me."

"Heh. I can imagine your mom must've had a fit when she found out about that," said Banna.

"That's actually being charitable. I'm surprised she hasn't moved to withdraw me from Konoha High yet," Karui said dryly. "It wouldn't surprise me if she did."

"Hmm." Banna crossed his arms over his chest.

"What about you? Anything new and exciting happening in your job?" asked Karui.

"Actually…" Banna's expression turned grave. "There's talk at work about the Tourism Minister being summoned before a commission of inquiry, ever since LOVE's little whistleblower stunt at Parliament last week. No telling yet what that'll mean for my job…"

"Are you worried about it?" Karui asked.

"Not yet, at least," said Banna. "I've been in this post for long enough that my résumé will impress any prospective employers, if I do lose the work because of this scandal. Best case scenario, though, they'll probably keep me on board to be bodyguard for whichever person they choose as Minister Akahoshi's replacement. Of course, what that means for my pay grade and the amount I contribute to you and your mother each month is up in the air right now…"

"It'll be fine, Dad," said Karui. "If I've learned anything useful from living with Mom, it's that I should save my money and not spend it unnecessarily. And with Mom's salary as a receptionist supplementing your monthly contributions to us up to now, I'm sure it'll all be okay."

"Well…as long as you're confident about that…" Banna nodded. "I'll still do what I can to support you, though. It's the least I can do as your father."

"Yeah," Karui said simply.

There was another moment of silence. Banna bit his lip. "Soooo…out of morbid curiosity…does my daughter have anyone she's interested in?" he asked.

Karui rolled her eyes. "You mean, do I have a boyfriend? You could just say it, Dad—the word 'boyfriend' isn't taboo."

"All right, all right, Ms. Snark. Do you have a boyfriend?" Banna asked more pointedly.

The younger woman took a deep breath. "There's someone I've been talking with. His name's Shino—Aburame Shino. He lives a few houses up the street from us. He's quiet, not the wholly talkative type, but he's a good listener and says his mind when he does talk. He's a bit on the mysterious side, but he's got a pretty protective dad. His mom's not in the picture—hasn't been for a while…he's good at Spanish, he collects bugs as a hobby, and before you think of asking, no, we're not having sex—I'm keeping that until I get married."

Banna had been paying keen attention to Karui's narrative; at her last words he visibly sank down in his chair, relief written all over his face. "Oh."

Then Karui looked up and past Banna—and her expression hardened. "And look who's here…"

"Eh?" Banna noted the direction of Karui's look, and sat up and looked over his shoulder. "…oh."

Approaching their table was a dark-haired, olive-skinned woman with eyes that were only a shade darker than Karui's. She stopped right in front of them, looked from one to the other of them, and nodded briskly. "Karui," she said to the redheaded girl. "Banna," she greeted the bigger man.

Banna's expression was neutral. "Hello, Amayo," he addressed the new arrival. "I didn't expect I'd get to see you in person."

"I came to check on Karui at her workplace," said Amayo. "Her coworkers said she'd gone to lunch with her father, and where she was, so I figured I'd come and see if what they told me was indeed true." She cocked an eyebrow at Banna. "I know I called and told you what happened here in Konoha Town last week, out of courtesy to you since you're Karui's father, but you never indicated you would be coming to town."

"I wanted to surprise Karui, is all," said Banna.

"Mom…" Karui began.

Amayo held up a restraining finger. "Shush, dear. The grown-ups are talking." Then she turned her attention back to Banna. "That you pay Karui's child support each month and have telephone contact with her is all that's really required of you. I'm sure it would be too much of a bother for you to have to go the extra mile to be physically present like you are now…just like it was evidently too much of a bother for you to stick around and be a husband and a father in person."

"Do we need to have this conversation now, here?" Banna asked in a low tone.

"What? Are you worming your way out of facing your responsibility?" Amayo queried. "No surprise there—it's what you did last time, after all."

Banna took a deep breath. "My being here today has nothing to do with any issues between me and you, Amayo. I'm here for the sake of our daughter."

"Well, as you can clearly see, she's fine," Amayo said stoutly. "In any event, Karui," here she turned to the younger woman, "hurry along and get back to your duties at the store, won't you? Your supervisors should be missing you right about now, I believe."

But Karui didn't get up. "I still have forty-five minutes until my lunch break is over. And my lunch hasn't arrived yet…ah, wait, there it is now."

Frowning as she saw Karui's gaze diverted elsewhere, Amayo turned to see the restaurant server coming up with a large tray balanced on one hand; politely, but with a tight expression, she moved aside and allowed him to deposit the food orders onto the table, then waited until he had gone away from them before stepping back up herself and giving the two meals a critical eye. "A pasta dish, Karui? What have I told you about watching your weight?" she asked crossly.

"My weight is fine, Mom," Karui said stiffly as she picked up her fork and began to eat.

A full-fledged scowl came over Amayo's face as she looked at Banna, who was just then taking up a slice of his pizza and biting into it. "No doubt about it—she got her rebellious nature from you."

"A child gets something from each parent. It's the law of genetics," Banna said coolly.

"Hmph!" One corner of Amayo's mouth curled downward in distaste even as she turned back to Karui. "Well, in any event, I'll be heading back to my work for now. Remember, Karui, I expect to see you at home when I get in this evening." And she turned and walked away without another word.

Banna shook his head as he watched Amayo's departure. "I see she still hasn't changed."

"Unfortunately," Karui sighed. "I guess I should just be glad she lets me out of the house at all."

"Ah, well," said Banna. "Anyway…let's not have this food go to waste, eh? The pizza's really good."

"And the pasta's awesome, regardless of what Mom wants to say," and for the first time Karui allowed herself a small smile as she dipped her fork into the Alfredo sauce and took up a creamy lob of chicken and pasta.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 18

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: So, for the first time, we get a glimpse into the family life of Karui as it's presented in the _Kitsune no Ken_ universe—her dad left due to the friction caused by her mom, and her mom's extremely overbearing as had been indicated several times by Karui herself in the main story.

Points to be noted here—in canon, neither Banna nor Amayo have any connection to Karui. Also, Amayo is a far more pleasant person in the movie where she appeared, albeit she was frustrated with her ex-husband's materialistic ways; while Banna, who tried to impersonate Naruto, eventually turned out to be an all-right guy who was merely being manipulated. I chose both of them to be Karui's parents in this story's universe because (1) Karui's actual parents have not been revealed in canon, (2) Banna has dark skin and red hair, similar to Karui, and (3) Amayo is one of the few ladies I could find among all the characters in the _Naruto_ universe whose eyes are close enough to match Karui's—actually, Amayo's eyes are a darker brown than Karui's amber eyes, but if you look at Amayo's picture on the _Naruto_ wiki page, they look close enough to a dark amber color that they could pass for amber. Additionally, I did a bit of reading on parents passing on eye-color to their children, and from what I've read, it's possible for a specific eye-color to skip a generation; so if a grandfather has green eyes, for example, it's possible his grandchildren may inherit green eyes but his own children might not. Therefore, for the purposes of this fanfic universe, I'll have it that Karui inherited her amber eyes from one of her maternal grandparents, and her mother's eye-color is a more subdued golden-brown.

Yeah, genetics can be funny like that.

More Gaiden material to come!


	19. Fox vs Wolf

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

GAIDEN 19 - Fox vs. Wolf

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place within the comic-within-a-fanfic,_ _ **Shadow Fox.**_ _)_

 _How did it come to this?_

That was the question on Ashida Akihiro's mind as, bound and beaten as he was, he managed to retain just enough consciousness to witness what was taking place before him: Shadow Fox, in all her gear save the distinguishing fox-styled mask that served to keep her most identifying features hidden, that having been tossed aside to show the face of Koga Michiko, the woman Akihiro had been covertly assisting from the first day to wage her crusade against Sogai City's criminals; and across from her, the crime boss known as Sakamoto Ryumaru, otherwise called Ghost Wolf, former leader of the similarly-named gang prior to its dissolution at Shadow Fox's hands, it having been responsible for killing Michiko's brother during that fatal drive-by shooting so many years ago, and Ryumaru himself now having just discarded his own mask which identified him as Sogai City's most feared villain, a mask he had donned together with his white outfit in a deliberate effort to mock Shadow Fox's own costume...the two of them, mortal enemies, forever linked by the death of one person, now squaring off against each other, ready to fight to the potential finish.

 _Soichiro...if only you didn't die..._

Akihiro remembered that time all too well. He hadn't been there personally to see that drive-by shooting, nor had he seen its immediate aftermath up close, but his fellow officers who'd been on the scene afterward, and the CSIs who did their usual forensic clean-up, they had relayed what witnesses had told them: that the Ghost Wolves, led by the gangster Sakamoto Ryumaru, had driven down the avenue, singling out members of another gang with whom they had had an ongoing feud, and the guns had barked from both sides while panicked civilians scampered for cover. Tragically, one civilian hadn't gotten to safety in time - Koga Soichiro, a high school student, shot right through the heart by a stray bullet; killed instantly, the coroner had said later; cut down in the prime of his life by a senseless act of random violence, most of Akihiro's colleagues had lamented.

But while sympathies abounded, and the police managed to do enough legwork to get several members of the Ghost Wolves arrested in connection with the incident, and preliminary forensic evidence had abounded to show that it was gunfire from their side that had killed young Soichiro...unfortunately, Ryumaru proved to have enough money, influence and charisma to get a lawyer who would be willing to get all the charges dismissed. Something about a fault with the arrest warrant, lack of the alleged murder weapon to match any of the bullets found at the scene...all a load of bull, Akihiro knew, but the lawyer's arguments seemed to have been enough to persuade the judge, a man often suspected but never confirmed to make under-the-table arrangements to give out rulings in certain defendants' favor...and by the end of that week Ryumaru was walking away from the courthouse a free man.

 _When money talks, it's a language anyone can understand._

Akihiro thought bitterly about what happened not long after that. From what he'd heard from his buddies on the squad's patrol unit, the police lieutenant had given orders that nobody was to touch Ryumaru or the Ghost Wolves without a direct say-so from higher authority; and Akihiro himself, looking back now, suspected that a good portion of Sogai City's cops were dirty enough to heed that warning, while the rest were too afraid for themselves and their families to disobey it.

Except one. Except _him._

He and Akihiro had been friends since their academy days. They'd served time together on the force, too, until a bullet to the shoulder resulted in Akihiro being reassigned to manning the police armory. But his friend had kept going, kept being a damn good street cop for the both of them, even made detective-sergeant...and he was the one officer, when Koga Michiko came pleading for anyone to help her get justice for her slain brother Soichiro, who didn't turn her away, who didn't make apologetic excuses, who actually listened to her, promised her that he would do his best to help her, and abided by that promise as far as he was able to.

And it had gotten the poor guy killed.

Akihiro had seen the murderer's signature enough times to know who it was this time. Five bullet wounds, two to the chest, one to the midsection, one to the stomach, and one to the head - that was one of the calling-cards of the Ghost Wolves gang's execution-style killings, immediately identifiable once his friend was fished out of the river days later. And Akihiro, on seeing it, knew immediately why it had been done - as a warning that Ryumaru and his boys must be left alone or else. And the lieutenant had given the call afresh, that nobody must go near anything remotely related to the Ghost Wolves without proper authorization.

Well, screw authorization, Akihiro had decided. Authorization was what got his friend killed.

He didn't really know what had prompted him to seek out Koga Michiko personally, nor what had prompted him to offer her the use of unused and unneeded pieces of gear from the armory. He definitely didn't know what had prompted HER to model herself after a fox - when he'd asked, she'd simply shrugged and said she'd gotten "inspiration" - but he well knew that he couldn't allow her to just go out and get herself in harm's way without at least giving her some modicum of preparation for what she'd be facing. And so he taught her everything he'd learned from the academy: combat tactics, of which she'd quickly gotten the knack thanks in part to her previous experience as a high school gymnast; investigative skills, which took her a little longer to master since she had to start thinking both like a cop and a criminal; stealth, weapons training, learning to cover her tracks...

And it had paid off more than even Akihiro or Michiko had expected. With Michiko wearing the costume and pounding the pavement and Akihiro supplying her and covering her tracks as best he could, they'd discovered that Ryumaru had been using his assets of questionable origin to buy off both the judge and the police lieutenant, and his muscle in the Ghost Wolves to cow the honest cops into inactivity where the gang was concerned. That had caused a major shake-up in Sogai City's police department, resulting in a new lieutenant coming in who was sincere about maintaining law and order but who, as a side-effect, lumped Shadow Fox together with Sogai City's criminal element.

Well, yes, technically Shadow Fox WAS a criminal in the sense that she was a vigilante operating outside the law; Akihiro couldn't deny that. But then again, as Michiko often cynically asked him, if Sogai City's cops were truly as efficient as the new boss often trumpeted, then why was Shadow Fox even a concept, much more a reality?

But Ryumaru hadn't rolled over and died with the dissolution of the Ghost Wolves gang. No, he had come back not long after, renaming himself Ghost Wolf after the gang, wearing his outfit and mask to mimic and mock Shadow Fox, and even as new super-criminals came on the scene, he remained a solid constant in Shadow Fox's life.

And now he was here, in Shadow Fox's lair which Akihiro had helped her to set up. And he not only knew who Shadow Fox was: he knew _everything_ there was to know about the Fox.

And Akihiro had been helpless and powerless to do anything about it.

And now, Michiko was there, getting ready to fight Ryumaru, even though she'd spent the last three days without rest, rounding up several of her enemies who'd gotten out of prison - a break-out which Ryumaru had just admitted to masterminding, all so he could wear the Fox down just enough for this final confrontation.

And Akihiro was now helpless and powerless to do anything about this, too.

 _I'm so sorry, Michiko..._

And right then, before Akihiro's just-barely-conscious vision, Michiko struck. She yanked a circular metal disk out of her utility belt and flung it at Ryumaru...and it sailed wide of him and past him, coming toward Akihiro, its sharp edge hitting the rope that held him bound to his chair, close to his leg. Ryumaru, for his part, took one look behind him to see what had just happened, and then he laughed. "Sloppy aim, girl," he sneered. "You must be more tired than I thought. Well, don't worry...I'll put you to sleep shortly."

The next thing Michiko knew, Ryumaru rushed at her; she swung one leg up in a roundhouse kick to his head, but he was agile enough to duck under it before swinging one palm up in a hard blow to her stomach that doubled her over, then he followed up with his other palm, smacking her across the face and knocking her down to one knee. Michiko swung her right fist, then her left, up at Ryumaru; he effortlessly knocked both aside and drew one of his knees to his chest to kick her square in the face, knocking her flat on her back.

"What's the matter?" Ryumaru taunted her. "What happened to that determination you had a minute ago? Was that all talk and no show?"

"Ungh..." Michiko staggered to her feet. "I...I'm not...losing to you...Sakamoto...!"

"Really?" Ryumaru cocked an eyebrow. "Because as far as I can see, you're definitely not WINNING against me right now."

Stepping forward, Michiko spun and swung one leg up at Ryumaru's side - only for him to effortlessly knock her foot away with his arm. Grunting in frustration, Michiko swung one fist up at Ryumaru's face; he caught her punch in one hand. Michiko quickly threw her free elbow up toward her opponent's head; Ryumaru knocked the elbow aside with his other arm, then abruptly threw his head forward, butting Michiko in the face. Disoriented by that attack, Michiko was helpless to respond as Ryumaru suddenly caught her by the throat with one hand and grabbed her belt with the other, yanked her off the ground, and slammed her onto the floor; pain exploded in her shoulders as they made a hard impact.

Ryumaru crouched over the prone Michiko, grabbing her neck in a hard one-handed grip. "Beg for mercy," he demanded. "SAY MY NAME, BITCH!"

Michiko's throat hurt from the pressure of Ryumaru's hand constricting her breathing, even as she grabbed his wrist with both hands in an effort to pull off his grip, but she nonetheless managed to glare at him. "My name, bitch," she rasped.

Ryumaru's response was to ball his free hand into a fist and throw a punch straight at her mouth; crimson exploded from her lips and gums as his knuckles made impact. "Quite a mouth you've got on you, don't you, Michiko?" he spat, before throwing another punch that left a nasty bruise on her cheek seconds later. "Well, guess what?" Another punch followed, this one leaving her eye red and weeping. "Before this night is over, I'll make sure I fix this sassy mouth of yours permanently!" and he punctuated the statement with another punch to her mouth, this one bursting her top lip.

"Grrr..." Tasting the increasing blood in her mouth, Michiko spat it up at Ryumaru in defiance. Unfortunately, the majority of it only ended up on her chin instead of in his face as she'd intended.

"So sad," Ryumaru sneered at her, his grip on her neck tightening some more. "Look at you, eh? All that training you've done, all the years you've spent opposing me and others like me, and for what? To get beaten like a dog because you had to push yourself to the limit trying to catch all the crooks I broke out of jail just to wear you down. And all because, under the fox-mask, you're just a meddling little girl who couldn't stop going wah-wah over her dead little brother. Well, guess what? People die every day. It happens. I've killed lots of people's relatives before. Your brother's not that special. GET OVER IT. But don't worry, there's a bright side to all this - just a little longer, and you'll be joining Soichiro six feet under, since you miss him that much."

Michiko's movements stopped. Her body went limp. Slowly, her hands loosened their grip on Ryumaru's wrist and fell away to the floor.

"What? Dead already?" Ryumaru scoffed. "And here I thought I'd draw out your death a little longer. Ah, well, at least you haven't expired suddenly, unlike your little wuss of a brother..."

WHAM!

Michiko's palms swung up and clapped Ryumaru right on his ears. "AGH!" he screamed out as the air pressure in his ears was suddenly and violently disrupted and a sharp sting of pain shot through his eardrums; and before he could stop himself, his hands flew up to hold his ears while he inadvertently rolled off his would-be victim.

Coughing to get her breath back and rubbing her neck with one hand, Michiko nevertheless got to her feet as quickly as she could, glaring at Ryumaru all the while. "Ahem...I'm not out yet...!" she grated out between her teeth.

"Ah...grr..." Ryumaru rubbed his ears and returned Michiko's glare. "Don't worry...you will be soon. It's just a matter of how long it'll take me to kill you."

With that, he rushed at Michiko and punched at her head - but the blow was knocked aside, followed seconds later by Michiko sending a hard punch to Ryumaru's midsection. Ryumaru doubled over as the force of Michiko's fist settled in his gut, but he managed to raise his arms in time to catch her other arm as it came down in a chop aimed at the back of his neck. Grunting in fresh frustration, Michiko lifted one leg at a vertical angle in an effort to kick at Ryumaru, but he in turn lifted his own leg to intercept her intended kick. Then Ryumaru shot the same leg forward in his own kick at Michiko's lower body, only she managed to shift aside in time to avoid it. Then Ryumaru abruptly punched forward at Michiko's midsection; Michiko crossed both arms in front of her and blocked the blow, but she flinched from the strength of the impact.

Grinning nastily, Ryumaru swung his left leg up at an arc and kicked Michiko in the face; she stumbled and just managed to catch herself by putting one hand on the ground to stop her fall. Shifting herself back upright, Michiko turned just in time to get the wind knocked out of her as Ryumaryu roughly tackled her and knocked her back to the ground. "It's about time I finished this!" Ryumaru roared, pressing his palm on Michiko's jaw and forcing one side of her face onto the floor.

Cringing from the force of the pressure her nemesis was putting on her face, Michiko nonetheless managed to fish one hand into her belt and pulled out a throwing star. "Something...for you..." she hissed out, holding it up for Ryumaru to see. "To blind you."

Ryumaru grabbed Michiko's wrist with his free hand, though she didn't relinquish her hold on the weapon. "And how're you going to do that?" he asked scornfully, wagging her wrist from one side to the next in mocking fashion. "Wave it around and hope you give me a papercut?"

"...something like that..." Michiko murmured.

 _BAMPH!_

A loud noise erupted from the shuriken, and bright light filled Ryumaru's vision. "GYAH!" he screamed, releasing his grip on everything he was holding and putting both hands to his eyes. "I - I can't see! My eyes!"

Summoning all the strength she had left, Michiko shoved Ryumaru off her, and he in turn rolled back and forth on the floor, frantically rubbing his eyes with his hand. But Michiko didn't stop there - she leaped onto Ryumaru and began pummelling his face with her fists as fast and as hard as she could. Her knuckles were stained crimson, both from their bruising and from the blood collected from Ryumaru's face...but she kept punching, punching, punching...

"Michiko...Michiko...MICHIKO!"

The sound of her name being frantically called only barely registered in her ears, but she didn't stop - she kept pounding on Ryumaru, her fists smashing into his face, his midsection, she driving her fists as hard as she could, as viciously as she could...

"MICHIKO, STOP! YOU'LL KILL HIM!"

That cry, louder than the ones before, caught her attention. She looked up in the direction the shout had come from...Akihiro, still wriggling in his restraints, looking like he'd exerted a lot of effort just to get her attention. "Michiko, stop..." Akihiro's tone was almost pleading now, now that he could see he'd gotten her attention. "You're no better than him if you kill him."

Breathing hard from the adrenaline rush, Michiko only now looked down at Ryumaru...and his face was a battered, bloody pulp, his breathing irregular. "...I..." She slowly looked at her fists, covered in blood as they were. "It's..."

"Michiko." Akihiro put a little authority into his tone. "Come over here. Now."

Michiko continued breathing hard...and, very slowly, she arose from Ryumaru's downed form and shambled over to Akihiro. And the closer she got to him...the less able she was to keep her emotion in check. "He killed...my little brother..." she whispered.

"I know." Akihiro nodded. "Can you untie me?"

"Y...yeah..." Moving automatically, Michiko moved behind Akihiro's chair and began to fumble with the ropes holding him in place.

"K...ku, ku...huh, huh, huh..."

Both of them looked up at the sound of Ryumaru chortling. "Stupid bitch...you should've killed me...when you had your chance..." Ryumaru growled as he gingerly rolled onto his belly and tried to push himself up by his hands...and ended up falling flat on his face. "Ow...dizzy...ribs hurt...must've hit me real good, there..."

"Give it up, Sakamoto," Akihiro growled. "You're not in good shape right now and you know it."

"None of us here is, cop..." Ryumaru rubbed his eyes with one hand vigorously. "Ugh...okay, I can see a little better now..."

Michiko breathed long and deep, hoping by doing so to get back as much of her exerted strength as she could. "Be glad I didn't kill you, Sakamoto. As a matter of fact, you'd better thank my friend here - if he hadn't stopped me..."

"But now...what're you gonna do?" Ryumaru turned to glare at her out of reddened eyes, gingerly cradling his midsection with one arm as he did so. "Put me away...like always? Lock me up again? But if you do that...I'll still win. Because I'll...I'll tell everybody about you...I'll tell all of them who you really are...I'll use every connection I've got...spread the word right throughout the city! Everyone will know Shadow Fox's true identity!"

Michiko gave him a steely look. "Go ahead."

Ryumaru's gloating expression faltered. "...wha?"

"I said, go ahead. Do it. Tell everybody who Shadow Fox really is." One corner of Michiko's mouth curved upward. "Tell all the punks in prison, all the thugs in this city's underworld, that Shadow Fox is the woman who exists only because _you_ killed her brother. You'll basically be admitting that Shadow Fox exists because of _you_ \- that'll be like you're begging them to shank you if you talk. And even if you don't tell them that particular little detail, how long do you think it'll be before they do the math? How long do you think it'll take for them to realize that all the hardships I've caused them could have been prevented from Day One if you hadn't shot Soichiro? There won't be a hole deep or dark enough for you to hide in once the word gets out."

There was a long moment's silence. Then Ryumaru emitted a dark, gutteral chuckle. "Huh, huh, huh...ugh, hurts to laugh..." He winced and pressed his arm closer to his ribs as he sank to the floor. "But...you mark my words...Michiko...even if it...if it takes me one year...or five or ten...I'll get out...and I'll come right back here for you."

Michiko was unmoved. "And I'll be right here waiting."

 **OoOoO**

Two days later...

"So all the criminals that Ghost Wolf broke out of the pen are accounted for?" Michiko asked.

"Yup - all of them are back in custody," Akihiro assured her.

She gave him a gentle look. "And you?"

She had good reason to ask, for he was sitting upright in his hospital bed, covered all over in bandages. "Truth be told, I feel like a worn-out punching bag," he admitted.

"Yeah..." Michiko sighed and looked down. "Sorry...you got hurt because of me..."

"Hey, hey, hey, no pity party here, please," Akihiro scolded her. "I'm a cop, remember? This kind of thing is an occupational hazard. It happens."

Michiko lifted her eyes and looked at him again. "Not like this. Not usually, anyway."

"Hmph." Akihiro's face took on a more thoughtful look. "Well...the lair's compromised now that Ghost Wolf knows its location..."

"And he knows everything about me now, too." Michiko's tone was grave. "Even if he can't outright tell anybody who Shadow Fox really is, there's still a chance he could use the info against me in some other way. He may be a sociopath, but he's not stupid."

"What will you do?" asked Akihiro.

"...I don't know." Michiko looked away. "I just don't know."

Akihiro just looked at her, himself not sure what he could say, if anything, to reassure her at that moment.

 _Michiko...how much simpler your life would have been if Soichiro hadn't died..._

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 19

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: And so ends the final act of the in-universe comic book arc that influenced Gaara's attempt to kill Naruto's friends in the main story's final arc.

I acknowledge (in case I haven't already) that this in-universe comic story was influenced by the real-life _Knightfall_ comic arc where Bane broke Batman's back, and there's also a bit of influence in this write-up from the _Daredevil_ movie - specifically, the scene where Kingpin threatens to out Daredevil's secret identity, only for Matt to tell him that to admit to having been beaten by a blind man would put Kingpin at risk in prison. There's also a bit of influence from an old _Batman_ story where Joe Chill, having just been confronted by the unmasked Batman, admits what happened to some of his cronies, only for them to gun him down in a blind rage before he can say the Bat's real name because they blame him for Batman always getting in their way, seeing as he was the one who killed Batman's parents.

All right - more Gaidens to come, set back in the main _Kitsune no Ken_ universe!


	20. Prison Phones

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

GAIDEN 20 - Prison Phones

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place during Year 2 of the 15-year time-skip before the finale in the main story.)_

Neji and Tenten sat together in the waiting lounge. He looked at her and bit his lower lip, mentally debating if he should ask the question that was on his mind. _Hmm..._

"Something you wanna ask, Neji?" Tenten said presently.

He quickly recovered his wits at having been seen through like that. "Uh...yeah..." Then his expression became grave. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

She eyeballed him. "I'd have never gotten the chance throughout all of last year, considering how high-profile the trial was. At least now that he's here, I can get this off my chest without worrying whether his lawyers or the media will get in the way."

"Hmm...I understand," Neji said quietly.

"I should say, though...thanks for driving me here." Tenten's tone was low. "I mean, you didn't have to do it..."

"I don't mind," Neji replied. "It's for the sake of someone whose well-being I have in mind. Of course I'd have done it."

The noise of approaching, echoing footsteps caught their ears. They looked in the direction of the sound...and were treated seconds later to the sight of a familiar tall, muscular, dark-skinned man with white hair, clad in an orange jump-suit, his hands in cuffs and chains, accompanied by two stern-looking guards, one on each side and holding him by his arms. "Well...here goes nothing," said Tenten, getting up from where she'd been sitting with Neji.

There was a partition glass and a desk between the couple and the approaching trio, with a side-mounted telephone on each side. Now Tenten took a seat on the chair provided on her side, and watched as the prisoner was cautiously seated by the guards on the other side. She took up the telephone receiver on her side and watched as he did likewise on his side. And as they did this, she noted how his eyes were focused right on her.

"Hello, Kira-san," she greeted him.

"Miss Tamura," he replied.

Tenten knew, having been advised beforehand, that she would have limited time to talk to him, so she decided to get to the point as quickly as she could. "Are you surprised to see me here?" she asked.

"Not really, no," Kira answered. "In fact, ever since my trial began, I've been expecting you to show up at some point and denounce me as one of the Kyuushingai who caused the deaths of your parents."

"A couple of years ago, I probably would've done that..." Tenten paused, as if measuring her words. "But...I'm not here for that, Kira-san. I'm not even going to raise my voice. I'm here because I wanted to thank you."

Kira scoffed. "Thank me? For what?"

"For saving me from a life of homelessness...for feeding me out of your own pocket...giving me money and a bank account..." Tenten felt a lump growing in her throat and made an effort to swallow it. "For giving me a second chance to live, after my old life was dashed to pieces."

"Even though I and the other Terrors were to blame for that..." Kira said darkly.

"But it was still something. No, not just something...it was EVERYTHING for me." Tenten sighed. "I could've been picked up by some pervert...I could've ended up selling my body just to be able to eat. But because you stepped in - you didn't have to do it, you could've just walked away and left me where you found me...but you didn't. And because of that...I am in a better place now. So...I just wanted to thank you for that."

"Hmph." Kira averted his gaze and looked to one side. "Well...I suppose I did _something_ right, in that case."

He looked past her and noted Neji sitting in the background. "I see Hyuga-kun came with you."

"He did," Tenten said simply. "I asked him to take me here, and he obliged."

Kira looked right at Neji, who simply looked back at him but made no gesture otherwise. Then the older man gave Tenten a long look. "By any chance, are you and he..."

"Yes." It was all Tenten said.

"...I see." Now Kira chuckled. "Maybe that's one more thing to be grateful for, huh? If not for my intervention...you'd never have met him. How amusing."

Tenten decided to shift the topic. "I watched the trial on TV. They really put you through the wringer."

"Yes..." Kira's smirk thinned. "At least, they did in the judicial court. The court of public opinion was more divided, and still is, I wager."

"Regardless, you're in prison on a life sentence for all the crimes you've comitted...murder, conspiracy to murder, identity theft, various types of fraud...Kira Enterprises' PR can't have come out of this unscathed," said Tenten.

"Actually, the company has weathered the storm surprisingly well - more than even I had hoped," said Kira. "The company's board of directors has control over it now. They are capable enough of managing it even in my, shall we say, indefinite absence."

"Mmm-hmm," said Tenten. "And you? I noticed you went to court in a wheelchair for a while...but now you're walking upright..."

"And limping, as I'm sure you would have noticed - blame Kurama the Fox for kicking out my legs the way he did," and Kira's expression soured. "Still, the medical care I got over the course of the past year has been good. In another two or three years, I'll be as good as new."

"That's good to know." Tenten nodded. "Well...you might be in prison for life...but...I'll still come and see you sometimes..."

"If it makes you happy to do so, you're free to do so. I won't be going anywhere for a long time." Kira shook his head. "Just make sure of one thing, won't you?"

"What is it?" asked Tenten.

Kira fixed his gaze on her face now. "Make sure you live the rest of your life...live it better than how I've lived mine." He paused for a moment. "I'll say just this much...if the real Kira Ay could have met you...he would have been quite pleased to get to know you, Miss Tamura."

"I'm sorry I never got to meet the real deal," Tenten said quietly.

"...so am I, Miss Tamura." Kira closed his eyes. "So am I."

There was silence for a moment. Kira broke it. "Well...I guess this is goodbye for now," he said. "Live well, Tamura Tenten."

"...you too." Tenten nodded...and then she watched as Kira hung up the receiver on his end, before hanging up hers as well. Her eyes kept lingering on him even while the guards took hold of his arms, lifted him up from the chair, and guided him toward the exit on their side.

She heard footsteps coming up behind her, but she didn't turn around to face Neji. "You sure you'll be okay?" he asked gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Tenten searched for an honest answer. "I hope so," she said at last.

"Okay." That was all Neji could say that he thought was an appropriate acknowledgement. "Come...let's go home."

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 20

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: And thus ends another Gaiden...one where Tenten gets some amount of closure, in light of the in-universe revelation of Kira Ay really being Kira Hachi. I do believe in providing closure when it comes to things like this; it makes no sense to leave things hanging.

And with that said...more Gaidens to come!


	21. Touch

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 21 - Touch**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place on Monday, July 31, shortly after the end of the Parliament incident in the main story's final arc.)_

 **(This Gaiden chapter has a fairly high adult rating for safety due to its content.)**

The young man sitting at the business establishment's front desk hummed to himself as he perused the information on the computer screen before him. He clicked the mouse-button here, scrolled down a document there, sifted through the online pages... "Quiet day today, no doubt," he muttered.

The noise of a car pulling up outside caught his attention; he looked up with curiosity and beheld a blue 2008 Honda Coupe even as its driver-door opened and its occupant, a woman with short blue hair, alighted from it. The woman, clad in a beige-colored skirt-suit with matching high-heels on her feet, stepped lightly and quickly through the entrance and came up to the front desk.

"Good morning, madam," the receptionist greeted her, standing and bowing his head respectfully. "Welcome to Mabui's Spa Delights. How may I be of service today?"

The woman returned the bow. "Good morning," she answered. "My name is Hideaki Sumire. I have an appointment for your spa treatment today."

"All right, just give me a moment to verify that, please..." The receptionist sat back down and quickly clicked on the computer screen with the mouse, a moment later scrolling through some information. "Ah, yes, here we are, Hideaki-san's 12:00 appointment. Just have a seat over there and wait a moment, please; the attendants will see to you shortly."

"Thank you," Sumire replied.

 **OoOoO**

"Okyo-chan!" One of the girls hurried into the employees' lounge and approached another girl who sported long brown hair. "We have another client who's just arrived - you're up to handle her massage. It'll be in Room 5."

Okyo, in the process of filing her nails, glanced up at the intrusion. "Is she ready for the massage now?"

"The others have her undergoing the hot-spring treatment right now," the other girl answered. "After that she'll shower in preparation for the massage."

"All right, all right..." Okyo put the nail-file down, stood up and stretched her arms skyward. "What sort of woman will I be dealing with, any idea?"

"Eh, she looks to be a professional lady - maybe around her 40s or so, but pretty attractive," her coworker answered. "She's got short-cut blue hair, too."

"Sounds like a busy working mom," Okyo remarked. "Well, I guess I'll soon find out."

The other girl eyed her. "Nervous about it?"

"Well...a little..." Okyo shrugged. "I mean, I haven't been at this as long as you guys have, and I'm the youngest person here on the payroll..."

"You've been with us a year up to now - that's long enough to earn your stripes. And you're 19 years old - it's not as if you're a kid," her co-worker replied, and gave her a light pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll do fine. Just remember the most important fundamentals that Mabui-san's taught all of us, and everything will turn out okay."

Okyo sighed. "I hope so..."

 **OoOoO**

"Whew...such a soothing hot spring dip and a refreshing cold shower..." Sumire sighed as she adjusted the belt on her bathrobe, which now replaced the clothes she'd arrived in earlier.

The attendant accompanying her nodded. "This way, please; the massage room should be ready for you by now," she informed Sumire.

The two walked along the corridor until at last they arrived at a large door, which the attendant promptly opened and then gestured for Sumire to step through. Crossing the threshold, Sumire took in the room s aesthetics. "Hmm..."

The room was small and cool, with a barely-perceptible caress of air from a hidden air-conditioning unit going across Sumire's skin. Dark green drapes hung over the walls on each side. In the middle of the room was a small sponge-mat, which she guessed was what she would be lying down on for the massage; a pillow and a folded towel were laid on the floor beside the mat, and off to one side was a small table on which rested a transparent squirt-bottle with clear fluid inside, some folded rags and towels, and a small stereo system.

"Just to let you know of our establishment s rules, madam," the attendant spoke to Sumire. "We do not permit any contact with our clients' private parts, so there will be no sexual activity taking place at any time during the session. Also, if you feel uncomfortable at any time, please be sure to let the therapist know. As for mode of dress, while we normally have our clients be in the nude with towels draped over private areas, we also offer the option for you to wear a sports-bra and panties instead of using towels. What would you prefer, please?"

"Towels are fine, thank you," said Sumire.

"Very well," said the attendant. "Also, for your information, our massage therapists have been trained in a technique that focuses on stimulation of nerve endings in the body; such stimulation may result in...certain bodily responses that may be unexpected for you. If you experience any such thing and you feel uncomfortable about it at any time, or you wish to stop, please inform the therapist immediately."

"Very well, I will," Sumire answered.

"All right." The attendant turned toward the door. "I'll allow you five minutes to get yourself settled on the massage mat. After you have removed your robe, please lie face-down on the mat with your head on the pillow and the towel underneath your stomach, and also drape another towel over your lower body. In five minutes, the therapist will come and see to your comfort."

"Thank you," and Sumire nodded.

 **OoOoO**

Clad in a white kimono with red flowers along its design, Okyo was just tying her hair back into a ponytail when the attendant came into the room. "I've placed your assigned client in Room 5," the attendant told her. "She should be getting herself in place on the mat in there."

"How does she come across to you?" Okyo queried.

"Like a soccer-mom who's hiding her stress really well," the attendant remarked. "So make sure you rub the stress right out of her, got it?"

"Hmm..." Okyo finished tying her hair back and looked down at her hands. "Well...I hope I'll satisfy her..."

"Just take your time, don't rush anything, and above all else, listen to the client," the attendant encouraged her. "Watch how she responds and act accordingly. And, of course, try not to do anything that might make her want to sue us."

"Way to spike my confidence," Okyo said sarcastically. "Well...all right..." She slapped both of her cheeks simultaneously with her palms. "Here I go."

 **OoOoO**

Sumire laid face-down on the mat, a towel carefully laid over her buttocks and upper thighs, another towel folded under her stomach, and her hands resting on either side of her head as she waited patiently for the massage therapist to show up. Just lying where she was, she felt a sense of rest and relaxation, but still the tension of the world she'd just come here to escape rested on her body somewhat.

 _I really, really need this - being a 44-year-old real estate agent with a husband and two kids to manage day in and day out can be so wearying..._

 _Click._ The door opened softly, and as Sumire's eyes were facing that way, she saw that the new arrival was a woman several years younger than her, sporting long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing a rather nice-looking white kimono with red flowers on its design. "Good afternoon," the girl greeted her. "My name is Okyo, and I'll be your massage therapist today. What is your name, please, madam?"

"Sumire," the blue-haired woman answered.

"Sumire...that's a beautiful name." Okyo smiled a little. "All right, Sumire-san, just close your eyes and relax...let everything leave your mind."

Sumire closed her eyes. Her ears could still hear, though, and she heard Okyo's footsteps padding over to where she knew the side-table was...heard her fiddling with something over there...and then her ears were filled with the sound of gently-rushing water that was accompanied by harp music just behind it. Then she heard the footfalls coming her way...sensed that Okyo was kneeling down next to her...heard the sound of a squirt-bottle's nozzle, followed a second later by the distinct sound of oily smacking...

"Would you care for conversation, or for silence, Sumire-san?" Okyo, in the process of applying oil to her hands from the bottle, now placed one lubricated hand on Sumire's bare back.

"No talking," Sumire replied, soaking in the warm feeling of oily flesh on her skin.

Okyo nodded once. "Okay." She now placed her other hand on Sumire's shoulder. "Let's begin." Then she began to move her hands slowly, carefully, just the way she had been taught during her training period.

A small moan escaped Sumire's lips as she felt the girl's fingers pressing gently but deeply into the flesh of her shoulders and upper back. Slowly the hands glided down to Sumire's lower back, aided by the oil; then Okyo worked her fingertips into the flesh just on either side of the older woman's spine, moving up and down, drawing another groan from her client.

 _Hmm, there's some real tension here,_ Okyo thought but didn't say, as her fingers worked carefully up and down either side of Sumire's spinal column, pressing deeply but gently.

"Mmm-hmm," Sumire mumbled her approval.

Okyo kept her hands where they were as she leaned forward so her mouth was near the older woman's ear. "Just relax...let it all go," she whispered.

The girl's fingers held a firm but gentle grip on Sumire's shoulders, working out the tension that could be felt in the flesh. "Mmm..." Sumire sighed. _This girl's young, but she's pretty good...they've taught her well._

Okyo carefully lifted one of Sumire's arms and lightly kneaded the muscles she felt there. _This lady works out quite often, I figure...there's some well-developed muscle here...feels strong._ Then her hands moved up to grip Sumire's wrist, her fingers rubbing Sumire's fingers, her palm, her knuckles, and the flesh in between her fingers. _The flesh on her knuckles is slightly rough - maybe she punches the bag when she's working out?_

Sumire's breathing was steady as she absorbed the physical sensation. _This therapist has talent...I wonder how long she's been working here._

By and by Okyo put Sumire's arm back down on the mat, but her fingers never left the client's skin. " **Never break physical contact during the massage, except when you are going to adjust the towels draping the client's body,"** she remembered Mabui-san having told her during her training.

 _To think I started here right out of high school, as a summer job to make money to go toward paying for community college...yet I've learned so much in the year I've been here...such as..._

She was working on Sumire's other elbow at the moment; now she placed her index finger and her thumb on the inside of the woman's armpit, lightly gripped the muscle she felt there, and squeezed.

"Ah...!" Sumire's eyes popped open as the sensation traveled through her upper arm.

Okyo paused. "Is it all right?" she asked, a hint of anxiety coming into her voice.

"It's...it's all right," Sumire answered, her voice coming back. "It feels good."

Okyo gave a silent sigh of relief. "Okay."

Sumire relaxed again. ... _was that the special technique the other girl was talking about that focuses on the nerves? It felt…like deep pressure, but not quite painful...definitely worked in the muscle, for sure._

Okyo laid Sumire's arm down on the mat, and her left fingers caressed Sumire's back as she leaned down and carefully brought up the towel covering the client's upper legs till it was coving just below her buttocks. Then a moment later the brown-haired girl began to work on the blue-haired woman's right leg, carefully kneading and pressing her fingers into the flesh as she did the thigh, then slowly worked her way down to the back of the knee...and here she pressed her index finger into the middle of the joint and drew another groan from Sumire.

Sumire's eyes squeezed shut a little more tightly as the not-unpleasant sensation ran up her thigh from the back of her knee...then she became aware of Okyo's hands kneading her calf, gradually going down toward her ankle... "Um, Okyo-san..."

"Yes?" Okyo's hands stopped, but didn't leave Sumire's leg.

Sumire bit her lip as she thought about what she was going to say. "This is a little embarrassing, but...I've always kind of had sensitive feet...so...could you please be gentle down there?"

Okyo nodded. "I understand."

Carefully, she bent Sumire's leg at the knee so her foot was pointing upward; then she thought back to another piece of advice Mabui-san had given her during training. " **When handling a body part that the client finds especially sensitive or ticklish, treat it the way you would want that body part treated if it were yours."**

 _All right...how best to do this without tickling her or making her uncomfortable..._

Mabui-san's voice seemed to come into her mind again. " **Even if you re nervous, do not let that nervousness get transferred to the client. Just relax and take your time. A relaxed massage therapist equals a relaxed treatment, and a relaxed treatment results in a satisfied client."**

 _Okay, Mabui-san, you're the expert on this..._

Sumire, still lying on the mat, let out a tiny squeak as she felt the younger woman's hands gently cupping and caressing her foot, from the top to the heel to the sole. Truth be told, her husband had always longed to give her a foot massage here and there, but she'd been reluctant to indulge him due to her level of sensitivity...but now, feeling the hamstring prodded, the toes gently twisted and pulled, the instep firmly pressed upon, she was reminded of just how many hours a day she spent on her feet while selling real estate to her prospective buyers, and how many hours she spent in constant movement during her evenings at the gym, and a pang of regret swept over her as she now thought of how she could have let her husband ease her gradually mounting discomfort during their alone time together.

Then she felt Okyo's thumb press down just beneath the ball of the foot. "Oh!" she let out a light gasp.

The movement paused. "Is it okay?" Okyo asked softly.

 _That feels good... "_ Right there...don't stop," Sumire murmured.

The thumb began moving again, pressing down on that spot at five-second intervals as other fingertips lightly but firmly ran up and down the sole; Sumire shivered at the combined sensation. _So deliciously good..._

There was a light tickling sensation from the fingertips mixed in with a gentle stab of combined pleasure and pain drawn out by the thumb; without even really meaning to, she licked her lips and tried to stay calm as the sensation slowly crept up her calf and beyond her thigh.

Okyo's fingers and thumb worked on, she drawing on what she'd always liked when her boyfriend serviced her own tootsies.

 _Tickles...but so good, too...keep going...going...going..._ Then Sumire felt one more insistent push of the thumb, this time above the ball of her foot, right near the base of her big toe, and her lips parted more widely and a silent sigh came out as a subdued and yet wholly unexpected feeling hit her right in _that tender spot._

 _Oh my goodness...did I just...did my body really...?_

Okyo laid Sumire's foot down and took a look at the client; immediately she noticed that, while the older woman's breathing seemed steady, her cheeks were slightly flushed. "Are you all right?" she asked, a hint of puzzlement on her face.

Sumire took a deep breath, hoping her body's reaction hadn't been too obvious, and glanced back at Okyo. "I...I'm fine," she replied. "Please continue."

"Okay." Okyo kept one hand on Sumire's pampered leg while she crossed the other hand to the other, up-to-now untouched leg. "Relax."

Sumire closed her eyes again and took a deep breath. _That was strange...never had_ _ **that**_ _happen to me before...but judging from the look on her face, that likely wasn't her aim...it's probably just me._

To her quiet disappointment, a few minutes later, she didn't have a repeat of that sensation even while Okyo s oily fingers slid in between the toes of her other foot and the therapist s other hand cupped and massaged her heel - but the now-welcome ticklish feeling she got from this rubdown and from the prodding of her sole brought her close enough to that sensation that she didn't feel the need to complain.

 **OoOoO**

An hour and a half later...

"Okyo-san?"

Okyo, back in the employees lounge, looked up as the tall and graceful form of Mabui, the spa owner, entered the room and approached her. "Ah, yes, Mabui-san," she stood up and bowed to her boss.

"Hideaki-san, the client you tended to earlier, she just left - but she asked to convey thanks to you for giving her a fantastic massage," Mabui remarked, nodding with approval. "She also left a rather sizeable tip for you."

"A...a tip? For me?" Okyo blinked, not sure if she had heard correctly.

"Yes. I'll give it to you at the end of the day." Mabui smiled. "It seems you managed to hit all the buttons she needed to have hit - she gave a glowing review of your use of our technique."

"Um...well, about that, Mabui-san..." Okyo looked uncertain. "During the massage, I think she might've had...more than just a button-hitting reaction..."

Mabui studied her. "You stayed within the guidelines of the spa, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Okyo.

"Hmm." Mabui fingered her chin. "Perhaps you'd care to demonstrate to me what exactly you were doing at the time she had this reaction?"

Okyo blinked. "Demonstrate?"

"Yes. Demonstrate on me. As your employer and the one who's taught you my techniques, I'm the best person to judge whether you used the techniques correctly." Mabui nodded. "Let's go to the lounge chairs outside."

 **OoOoO**

Not long after... "I see," Mabui said in a low tone, her eyes half-closed, as she reclined on her lounge chair and watched as Okyo, sitting at the foot of the chair, carefully caressed and kneaded her left foot with oil; then she let out a low gasp as she felt Okyo's thumb press a certain spot near the ball of the foot. "So...everything was definitely above board."

"Yes, ma'am," said Okyo. "She did say she had sensitive feet...I guess that was it?"

"More than likely," said Mabui. "As long as the rules were followed, then no harm, no foul. You've definitely earned that tip she left for you."

"Thank you, Mabui-san," said Okyo. "So, should I stop now?"

"You'll stop only when I tell you to stop, young lady," Mabui said in a mock-stern voice, though there no was no hiding the gentle smile on her lips. "Because...sigh...that right there that feels _excellent."_

Okyo smiled now, too. "Yes, ma'am." And then her hands went back to work rubbing oil into Mabui's foot.

 **OoOoO**

And elsewhere, later that evening...

Sumire settled herself on the couch, kicking off her slippers. "Okay, dear, the kids are in bed, and I really need a favor from you if you're up for it."

"Sure, hon," her husband's voice sounded from the kitchen. "What is it?"

"How soon will you be done with the dishes?" Sumire asked.

"I'm just wrapping up the drying," came the reply. "Why?"

"Well..." Sumire reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bottle of lotion. "Could you be a dear and come rub my feet for me? I've got some lotion out here already..."

Two seconds later, her husband was out of the kitchen and in the living room. "Coming right up!" he grinned, sitting down beside his wife. "But what's brought this on? You were never enthused about foot rubs before...did your visit to that spa today change your mind?"

Sumire smiled. "I guess you could say that." _Not that you really need to know all the details - no sense in making you jealous._

With her being as relaxed as she was, her husband's efforts that evening brought her dangerously close to feeling that sensation again...and then his _other_ efforts behind their bedroom door much later brought her several bigger sensations that more than surpassed it.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 21

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Okay, I'll cop to it - this Gaiden chapter was designed to be fan-service for persons who appreciate female feet.

And yes, I have actually found documented information online to suggest that some women can have orgasms from having their feet rubbed, if they're sensitive enough. I need not say any more than that.

Now, in canon, both Okyo and Sumire were very, very minor characters, and neither of them had a revealed surname. I gave Sumire the surname Hideaki for the purposes of this story. In canon, however, Sumire _was_ a wife and mother, according to the Naruto Wiki page; so that aspect was retained.

Just to make sure nobody's confused, though - the events of this Gaiden should not be taken to mean that Sumire has any bisexual tendencies, or that Okyo was (deliberately or accidentally) seducing her. Sumire merely had a physical reaction as a result of having sensitive feet, and Okyo was professional right through. Plus, Sumire's very happily married, as the very last scene should indicate.

More Gaidens on the way!


	22. Mist City Chronicles, Part 2

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 22 – Mist City Chronicles, Part 2**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place two months before the start of the main plot in Chapter 1 of the main story.)_

 _Bam! Pow! Crack! Whack!_

The thug fell heavily to the ground, joining the three others who were already groaning in pain. "Agh…!"

One of the previously-felled punks looked up into the face of the dark-skinned, white-haired youth responsible for their being on the ground; at that moment he was standing tall, his fists clenched tightly and stained with blood that wasn't his. "Now, then," the assailant glowered at the quartet, "still think it was a good idea to try attacking me?"

"Grr…damn you, Yamazaki…we won't forget this!" one of the others snarled at him. "You'd better start looking over your shoulder from now on, you understand? We'll pay you back but good for this!"

"Yeah, you and everyone else on this block," the youth answered flatly. "I've grown up in Seppuku Society, so dregs like you aren't a big deal to me. Now scram before I break your ribs for the fun of it."

Muttering curses under their breaths, the four goons staggered to their feet and limped off into the night, and Yamazaki Omoi watched them with narrowed eyes for a moment before turning and heading up the avenue to his own house. "Well, that's one way to blow off steam," he grumbled as he finally reached the front door of the brick-and-board structure he called home.

But while he pulled out his house-keys and unlocked the door, his mind continued working…and the unpleasant memory he'd been trying to erase through multiple street fights came to him once again…

 **OoOoO**

 _Omoi's eyes widened. "Why, you…!" he snapped, lunging forward with one fist flying at Mikoshi's head…_

… _only Mikoshi was no longer standing there. Omoi blinked._ Where'd he—

" _Behind you."_

 _Flinching as he heard Mikoshi's voice from behind, Omoi turned around. "Damn, you're fast."_

" _Or perhaps it's just that you're slow," Mikoshi replied. "In addition to which, you're missing a button on your shirt, near your belt."_

" _Say what…?" Omoi looked down at his shirt—and indeed he was missing a shirt button. "But…wait…"_

" _Wondering how that happened and what it's got to do with anything?" asked Mikoshi. "When you punched at me, I ducked under your punch and stepped behind you. While I was evading you…" He held up something between his thumb and forefinger—Omoi's missing button._

 **OoOoO**

Omoi flicked on the light for the living room, then headed over to the couch and flopped down on it. He stared up at the ceiling for a long moment…then he lifted his hand up before his face, idly examining his still-bloodstained fingers. And while he did that…

 _That guy…to think he could've beaten me…_

He slowly clenched his hand into a fist. _Kimura Mikoshi…_

Ever since that bizarre September evening, Omoi had made a point of keeping an eye on his classmate whenever it was convenient to do so. Not that he was going to let up on his plan to cross fists with that Roshi Ajisai chick—he was sure, in fact, that she'd still want to take up his challenge if he indicated that he was still interested in fighting her—but he needed to be sure of what exactly Mikoshi could do and how to be prepared for it, since there was no doubt that Mikoshi would interfere again if he knew that Omoi and Ajisai were going to throw down. Therefore, Omoi needed to eliminate him as a potential obstacle and as a potential fighting rival.

But Omoi could only fight the thugs of Mist City's Seppuku Society avenue so many times to try and test his own skills; if none of them could hold a candle to Mikoshi's obvious level of skill, then how would Omoi know whether he was good enough to take the four-eyed guy in a serious fight or not?

His brow furrowed as he stared some more at his fist. Then he made a decision.

"Geez…what a pain this is going to be…"

 **OoOoO**

 _Bang-bang-bang!_

The dark-skinned, bald-headed man was roused from sleep by the loud noise at his door. Automatically his hand went under his pillow and came back out holding a dark-metal Glock pistol. "Who's there?" he growled, pointing the gun toward the door.

"It's Omoi. Open up, Jei!"

Sighing irritably, Jei replaced the gun under his pillow, flung off the sheet from his body, and tramped over to the door and pulled it open to reveal the younger man in the passageway outside. "What're you doing here at this time of night, kid?" he asked. "You and your old man throw down again?"

"Pfft. Him? He's quite all right—on the night shift again," Omoi scoffed. "Actually…I need a favor."

"Sorry, I haven't got any spare cash to lend you," Jei said flatly.

"Nah, bro, it's nothing like that," Omoi hurried to assure him. "I just…look, I need a refresher, is all."

Jei leaned against the doorway and cocked an eyebrow at Omoi. "A refresher?"

"You're the one who showed me the ins and outs of street fighting, when we were little," said Omoi. "I've learned a whole lot about that since then, but…I could do with a bit more learning, you know?"

"Is that right?" Jei asked. "Any special reason?"

"Do I need to have a reason?" Omoi grunted.

"Well, it's not like you'd come over just to say howdy to me. You only ever come here when you want or need something…and that doesn't happen often." Jei crossed his arms over his chest. "I know you, Omoi. I've known you ever since you were a little grunt in the back-alleys. You don't take orders from anybody unless you absolutely have to, and even then you're still a lone wolf at heart. So if you're coming to _anybody_ for help, it's gotta be because you're desperate and don't have any other options."

Omoi glared at Jei, but said nothing in reply.

"Soooo…you gonna tell me what this is about? Because if not, just go home and stop wasting both our time." Jei fixed a stony look at the white-haired boy.

"…fine." Omoi shrugged, clearly resigned. "Can I come in?"

Jei wordlessly stepped out of the doorway so Omoi could come in. Omoi, in turn, tramped into the apartment and casually sat down on the couch. "So…yeah…there's this guy at school…"

Jei snorted. "A bully? C'mon, that's something you should be able to handle on your own."

"No, not a bully," Omoi countered. "Just a regular guy…or at least, I thought he was regular, but…" He shook his head. "I punched at him—and he didn't just dodge, he snagged a button from my shirt without me seeing it. The dude was just that fast, Jei. As good as I am, if I can't keep up with that speed…"

"So you want me to give you some training to counter him, is that it?" Jei interrupted. "Give me a break, Omoi. If the kid is fast enough to dodge you, so what? Good for him. This is Mist City we live in, yo. If you're not strong enough to give and take a beating, or fast enough to avoid getting hit, you're a dead man. That's just the way things are here in this hellhole." He cocked an eyebrow. "Or is it…that you want to kick his ass because he humiliated you, and now you want payback?"

"Look, I told you what's what. Are you going to help me or not?" Omoi asked impatiently.

"All right, all right, just keep your head on, man." Jei held up both hands in a placating gesture. "Anyway, listen. It doesn't sound like he laid a hand on you—aside from snagging your button, anyway. Did he?"

Omoi looked away. "No," he admitted grudgingly. "It's just…" He ran a hand through his hair. "Jei…I've got a rep to keep up, you know? If anybody ever heard that some bookworm could possibly kick my ass…"

"Yep. You definitely want payback." Jei swiftly held up a hand before Omoi could protest. "Tell you what, kid. Get him down to the dirt track behind the old junkyard across from here tomorrow after school lets out, and you guys can rumble all you want. I'll be there to see how things turn out…and it'll all be kept hush-hush, regardless of who wins. I'll make sure of it. Besides, I think I'd like to see for myself what kind of guy could get _you_ so worked up that you'd come to me asking for help."

Omoi gave Jei a long look. "All right," he said at last. "I'll get him at the junkyard, then."

 **OoOoO**

The following afternoon, at Mist City High School's cafeteria…

"All right—since when have we been buddy-buddy like this?" Roshi Ajisai growled as she clutched her turkey sandwich tightly.

Across the table from her were the Kimura siblings, Mikoshi and Maki, with their lunch trays in front of them. "This one's on her," Mikoshi replied, jabbing his thumb at Maki.

"Oh, really, o-nii-san? Like you didn't want to know your new crush a little better," Maki teased him.

"I do not have a crush on anybody here!" Mikoshi hissed.

"Mmm-hmm." Maki was clearly not convinced. "Besides which, Roshi-san," she addressed the redheaded girl, "have you made any friends in the last two months since you started here?"

"Should it matter?" Ajisai asked flatly.

"It couldn't hurt to have a friend or two watching your back," Maki said simply.

Ajisai cocked an eyebrow as she bit into her sandwich, briefly recalling in her mind what she'd learned about the Kimura siblings two months prior. "So you're appointing yourselves my guardians now?"

"Maki's the only one appointing anybody as anything," Mikoshi sighed.

"Oh, don't be like that, o-nii-san!" Maki scolded him. "Roshi-san's still relatively new, after all; she could do with at least one or two friends to help her get settled in properly!"

"And my being here two months isn't enough to be settled in?" Ajisai asked dryly.

"Well, for here at school, sure, but how much do you know about Mist City on a whole?" asked Maki.

"Oh, just that it's got the worst crime rate anywhere in the country…258 murders since January and still counting," said Ajisai. "Also, that it had _the_ worst violence out of every major town and city during the 365 days, though miraculously not a lot of deaths were recorded here from the total tally of those caused by the Kyuushingai. Makes you wonder how that happened, what with this city's rep and all."

"247 deaths attributed to the Kyuushingai…" Mikoto scoffed. "Either the country got really lucky, or somebody's lying about the actual numbers. And given what we saw here during that time, I say the second option is the likely one."

"Talking of which…out of curiosity…" Maki fixed a look on Ajisai. "What was it like in your old hometown, during the 365 days?"

Ajisai glanced to one side. "Eh, well…Iwa City managed to hold up pretty well…but we've got a memorial plaque there with the names of people who lost their lives during the 365 days' violence. Twenty-five people got killed there, including a number of cops, and there was plenty of property damage."

Mikoshi eyed the redhead. "And you? How'd you do then?"

"Hmm…" Ajisai frowned. "Let's just say my being here in Mist City now was because of what happened back there. That, and my mom's job moved her here. Not that I wanted to leave, but…"

Suddenly Mikoshi's eyes darted to one side. "Wait a minute—look who's coming our way."

"Eh?" Maki looked at her brother and then noted where he was looking. "Oh—it's that Omoi guy!"

The familiar dark-skinned, white-haired youth was walking toward their table with determination in his eyes, even as other students in the cafeteria began whispering and eyeing him keenly. "Oi, Kimura," he growled at Mikoshi once he was close enough.

Mikoshi cocked his head to one side. "Something I can do for you, Yamazaki-kun?"

Omoi glared at the sand-haired boy. "One question. You know the junkyard on 18th Avenue?"

"Hmm…yeah, I know it. Why?" asked Mikoshi.

"This evening, after school, I want you to show up along the dirt track near there. We've got stuff to settle." Omoi glanced at Ajisai. "And don't worry, red, I haven't forgotten we still have a fight to do. I'm just making sure every outstanding issue gets dealt with first." He looked back at Mikoshi. "Make sure you show up, four-eyes. I'll be waiting. And if you keep me waiting…I'll just find you here at school and settle things with you here, anyway." And then he turned and stalked out of the cafeteria without another word.

Maki blinked. "Uh…what was that?"

"I believe that guy just called your brother to come get beaten up after school," Ajisai answered flatly.

Mikoshi looked long and hard at the cafeteria doors where Omoi had just exited. Then he shifted his eyes left and right to look at the other students, who were just now whispering afresh and throwing occasional glances his way. "I don't suppose," he said as he turned back to the girls, "that simply staying home from school for a few days would be a viable option, would it? I mean, it's not like he knows where I live."

Ajisai scowled at him. "He doesn't strike me as the type to give up. Although it'd be good to know _why_ he's got such a mad-on for you all of a sudden…"

"Eh, well, guys like that, who can tell, right?" Mikoshi replied with a shrug.

"Nii-san…" Maki placed a worried hand on his shoulder. "You're not really going to see him after school, are you?"

"It doesn't seem I have much other choice here, Maki." Mikoshi shook his head. "But look on the bright side—Yamazaki-kun only said we have some things to settle. He didn't actually _say_ we were going to fight, did he? We'd only be assuming that's what he meant."

"Four-eyes, I've seen and heard bullies use that kind of not-so-obvious language to anybody they plan on putting the hurt on, back at my old school. There's nothing else he could mean except that he's planning to kick your ass," said Ajisai.

Mikoshi's glasses-lenses seemed to Ajisai, in that moment, to flash briefly. "We'll just have to see, won't we?" he asked softly. "Anyway, we can focus on that later. For now…let's just get through the rest of the day, what do you say?"

"Is that all you're going to say on the matter, bro?" Maki asked incredulously.

"Yes." Mikoshi eyeballed her. "That's all I'm going to say on the matter, sis."

"…" Maki looked away, a curiously resigned expression on her face. "…okay."

Ajisai looked from one to the other of them, her frown deepening.

 **OoOoO**

The hours passed. The sun shifted across the sky. Then the clouds began to darken and gather together in time with the just-forming sunset.

Omoi leaned against the fence separating the dirt track where he now was from the junkyard behind him, his hands in his pockets as he stared straight ahead. "Hurry it up, Kimura," he muttered under his breath. "And where the hell is Jei, anyway? He should've been here by now…"

"Well, well, well, what have we here, boys?"

Omoi looked up at the sound of the voice—and saw ten menacing-looking thugs, all clad in leather jackets and jeans and sporting wildly-varying hairstyles, walking together in a group and coming in his direction. "If it isn't Yamazaki Omoi," the speaker went on. "You're pretty brave to be out here in the open like this, so soon after how you manhandled our buddies last night, aren't you?"

"Those four grease-stains were your friends?" Omoi scoffed. "You've got pretty poor taste."

"Says the punk who's about to get his ass buried six feet under," the leader said venomously. "Boys, what say we teach him a little lesson in manners?"

The other thugs responded with an ominous chorus of chuckling.

 **OoOoO**

"You didn't have to come, you know," Mikoshi remarked as he and Ajisai hurried along the roadway. "Won't you be missed at home?"

"Eh, my mom's work has her at the office till after 7:00. It's only just after 5:30 now," Ajisai answered. "Besides, somebody had to come with you so your sister could have some peace of mind. It's not as if she was brave enough to come with you herself."

"Or that I'd let her even if she was," Mikoshi added. "Here in Mist City, unless you're tough enough to handle yourself or you have a tough person with you, you're taking serious risks walking these streets as a girl."

Ajisai looked offended. "That is, without a doubt, the most chauvinistic attitude I've heard from anybody anywhere," she grated out.

"Well, you're still fairly new to this city. You'll soon understand," Mikoshi said coolly. "Even Maki's smart enough to know not to hang out on these streets, worried as she likely is about me right now—and she knows that I can't keep my eyes on her _and_ you at the same time."

"Do you have ANY idea how much you're pissing me off with that chivalry crap right now?" Ajisai demanded. "I'm perfectly capable of watching my own back, thank you! I don't need anybody else to be my knight in shining armor or anything like that!"

"I admire your spunk, but a lot of people who've faced this city's troubles first-hand won't really care about that," said Mikoshi. "At least I'm trying to keep you from any unnecessary headaches as long as you'll be living here."

"If I want to keep off a headache, I'll take an aspirin," Ajisai quipped. "Anyway, how much further do we have to go?"

Mikoshi eyed the street they were currently walking on. "We cross the street from here, head down the hill and go past the railway tracks, and the meeting place is right after that."

Watching out for any oncoming traffic, the two hurried across the street and carefully scaled down a small hill. They easily ran across the railway tracks, and up ahead they saw the junkyard with a huge perimeter fence surrounding it. "The dirt track is just on the other side of the junkyard," Mikoshi explained.

"Right, right…" Ajisai paused. "Hey. You hear that?"

From up ahead, numerous loud and angry shouts and screams and violent noises reached their ears. "A fight…?" Mikoshi's eyes narrowed. "Yamazaki-kun!" He broke into a run.

"Hey, wait! Are you crazy? Come back here!" Ajisai exclaimed, running after him.

 **OoOoO**

Omoi's fists slammed into one thug's face, then another's, and then another's, while two more lay stunned on the ground and the rest were circling the combatants warily. "C'mon, gang up on him!" the group's leader snapped.

Three of the still-standing punks took the initiative and charged at Omoi. He dodged one's punch and hit the guy right under the ribs with a blow of his own, toppling him right there; then, spying one of the other two coming at him from the side, he thrust one foot out and caught that thug in the gut, knocking the breath out of him. The third attacker, snarling, bent down low and rushed headfirst at Omoi, tackling him and knocking him off his feet; Omoi landed hard on his back, but he still shoved his palm up under the guy's chin, knocking him off-balance.

 _WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP!_ Heavy boots suddenly thudded on his head and shoulders as the two remaining thugs, taking advantage of his distraction, proceeded to kick and stomp on him. The five guys he'd previously felled, briefly shaking their heads to get their bearings back, quickly got in on the action and did their own kicking and stomping, with Omoi flailing his arms back and forth to deflect their feet.

"Time to make _you_ a grease-stain!" the leader chortled, raising his leg just above Omoi's neck.

 _BAM!_

A flying kick caught the leader in the side of the head and sent him sprawling; seconds later, two of the thugs felt heavy hands on their jacket-collars and then felt their skulls smashed into each other, resulting in them dropping senselessly to the ground. "Hey, what…!" one of the four still-standing punks exclaimed—seconds before a sudden blunt-force assault between his legs caused him to crumple on the ground in pain, his hands clutching his bruised manhood.

Only then did the other three pause in their attack on Omoi—and one of them promptly felt a sharp blow to his nose, followed by him landing hard on the ground while clutching his face as blood exploded from his nostrils. Of the remaining two, one saw a flash of red seconds before a rising punch to the chin rattled his teeth and left him concussed in the dirt; and the other glimpsed a pair of glasses seconds before a heavy blow to the abdomen left him crumpled in a ball and coughing in an effort to get his breath back.

Bruised and dirty as he now was, Omoi was still able to look up and see what was happening. "You…!"

"Sorry to be late, Yamazaki-kun," Mikoshi spoke up. "Oi, Roshi-san, you okay there?"

"I'm fine, four-eyes; I'm not made of glass, you know," Ajisai answered irritably.

The thugs' leader, regaining his senses, glared at the newcomers. "Bastards…I don't know who you are, but I'll soon make you wish you'd minded your own business!" he exploded, struggling to his feet.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

As one, everyone looked up and saw a man not far away, stalking toward them with one hand held meaningfully at his side where a holster was positioned, only barely concealed by the corner of his jacket. "Crap—it's Jei! Book it, guys!" the thugs' leader yelled as he jumped up and bolted away.

"Let's get outta here!" The other punks wasted no time, and dazed and wincing as some of them still were from their injuries, they got up as quickly as they could and hurried off at varying speeds.

Jei, for his part, scoffed at the fleeing hoodlums. "Wusses…"

But Ajisai's greater concern was the holster at the newcomer's side. "Aw, crud…don't shoot us, please!" she exclaimed, holding up her hands.

Omoi sat up as best he could, wincing as his newly-received bruises stung. "Oi, Jei, this is how you decide to make your entrance?"

"Shut up, Omoi," Jei grunted as he approached them. "Honestly, you're lucky I got here in time—I don't think those guys would've given up otherwise. Oi, kid, you can put your hands down," that last bit directed at Ajisai.

"Uh…thanks…I guess." Ajisai complied.

Mikoshi eyed Jei warily. "Who are you? And how do you know Yamazaki-kun?"

"I've had to pull Omoi's fat out of the fryer too many times to count over the years," said Jei. "And you two are…"

"Yamazaki-kun's classmates from Mist City High," Mikoshi offered.

"Hmph." Jei studied Mikoshi a moment; then he turned to Omoi, who by now was back on his feet. "I'm assuming this is the guy who's got you so worked up?"

"Kinda…" Omoi glared at Mikoshi. "And for your information, Kimura, I could've handled those guys just fine. I didn't need any help."

Mikoshi scoffed. "Well, next time I see you getting beat up by ten tough guys, I'll just watch and see how you handle it when they gang up on you to stick knives into you. Luckily, that wasn't the case here."

"And, again, you guys are lucky I came along when I did," Jei growled. "But anyway, now that your fun-time's over, you'd all better hurry up and get home. You know things can get violent around these parts after dark. And you…" He looked pointedly at Omoi. "We'll talk about this later."

"Yeah, whatever," Omoi waved him off. "I guess that means we'll have to settle things some other time, Kimura. I'm out." And with that, he turned and walked off.

Jei shook his head. "Something tells me I'd better follow him home in case he gets jumped again," he grumbled. "Oi, you two," he spoke to Mikoshi and Ajisai, "from what I could see, you look like you can handle yourselves, but don't get cocky—definitely not in a neighborhood like this."

"Yeah." Mikoshi nodded knowingly. "By the way…you've done military duty, right?"

Jei frowned. "How do you figure that?"

Mikoshi nodded toward Jei's holster. "Glock 19 pistol…that's one of the weapons they issue to cops or servicemen. And you don't carry yourself like a cop—at least, not like the ones we have here in this city."

"…pfft. Me, kid?" Jei turned away. "Well…maybe I did a little time in the service…but I'm not anybody special, really. Just a guy trying to live day by day in Mist City."

Ajisai had kept quiet throughout this exchange; now she took a step forward. "My grandfather gave service to our country, too," she said, her voice low and the irritation gone. "Even if some people don't appreciate what he had to do…I do." She stood at full attention and gave a short salute. "Semper fi, soldier."

Jei slowly turned to look right at the redhead. "That's not a term you should use loosely, kid. Your grandfather's name and rank?"

Ajisai looked him dead in the eye. "Roshi Osamu is his name. He had no official affiliation with any specific military unit, and the nature of his work was largely secret, so I don't know all the details myself…but he did say that when the government called him to serve, he operated under the code-name 'Gorilla'."

Jei's eyes widened, but only slightly.

Mikoshi's keen eye noticed.

"…I see." Jei nodded at Ajisai. "And your name?"

"Roshi Ajisai."

Jei now stood at attention and gave his own salute. "Semper fi." Then he relaxed, turned, and walked away. "Hurry home safely, kids."

The two watched as Jei departed. Then Mikoshi turned to Ajisai. "Your granddad's military, huh? Who'd have guessed…"

"Ancient history, now," Ajisai waved him off. "Let's get outta here, eh? I'd rather be home before Mom."

"Cool," and Mikoshi nodded agreement.

 **OoOoO**

Jei walked along the corridor to his apartment, his jacket secured so as to keep his gun-holster more carefully hidden, and pulled his keys out of his pants-pocket to use on his door.

The door was slightly ajar—not how he'd left it earlier.

Seconds later the keys were back in his pocket and the gun was out of the holster and in both hands, as Jei cautiously edged near the door and slowly pushed it open with his foot.

"Did you bring take-out?" a voice called from inside the apartment.

Jei started—and sighed in relief, re-holstering the gun and entering the doorway. "You could've called and let me know you were coming," he remarked as he reached for the light-switch and flicked it on. "Why the cloak-and-dagger routine?"

Sitting there at the dining table was a man with spiky blond hair, clad in a white hooded jacket. "I wasn't sure you'd be willing to take on what I have to offer if I called ahead."

Jei regarded the visitor. "Something more to do with the Kyuushingai?"

"Related," the other man answered.

"Heh." Jei chuckled. "Funny thing…I met Son Goku the Gorilla's granddaughter today, here in Mist City."

"I know about the Gorilla's family. His daughter's estranged from him because of what happened in the 365 days," said the visitor.

"But his granddaughter looks up to him," said Jei. "Pity she doesn't know the whole story."

"You plan on telling her?"

"It's not my place to tell." Jei shrugged. "Anyway…what's brought you to see me, Minato?"

Minato nodded. "I'm putting together a group…on commission directly from the Justice Minister. Officially, the government doesn't know we exist…unofficially, we're the black-ops for black-ops. So far the group consists of me, a guy everyone thinks is dead, and one of the Kyuushingai. And I want you in it."

"Mission?" asked Jei.

Minato did not miss a beat. "To expose the real reason the 365 days happened in the first place…who's really to blame for it—whether the people who bankrolled the Kyuushingai project, or someone else."

"…I'm listening."

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 22

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Yes, a bit more background information is unveiled in this chapter. Yes, there are more members in Minato's black-ops group than just Itachi and Yugito or any of the former villains shown in the main story's final chapter. And yes, Roshi is given an official first name in this universe, it being Osamu, which can mean "discipline" or "logic." As for Jei in this chapter—in canon, he's the Kumo ninja simply known as J, with the name rendering in this universe being the phonetic pronunciation of his name.

Consider this Gaiden chapter my Christmas gift to all of you, with more to come. Happy holidays!


	23. Hiroko

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 23 - Hiroko**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place during Year 9 of the main story's 15-year time-skip before the finale._ _ **RATED "M" FOR SOME CONTENT.**_ _)_

To many people who knew her name, Hyuga Hinata was a lot of things: the current chief executive officer of the widely-established Hyuga Corporation, which specialized in the shipping industry, development of the newest electronic technology, and owning of significant shares in the public transportation industry's operations and maintenance; a highly-sought-after public speaker for various opening ceremonies, graduations, dinner functions and business conferences; an accomplished concert pianist, whose musical expertise was a must-have even at galas where she wasn't already a keynote speaker; the wife of the semi-infamous former Kyuushingai member and equally famous public speaker and author Uzumaki Naruto, with Hinata only maintaining her husband's name on their official marital documents and using the Hyuga name for business purposes; and the heiress of Konoha Town's most prominent blue-blood family, residing in their splendid manor atop a hill overlooking the rest of the metropolis's populace.

To her employees at the country's various Hyuga Corp offices, she was "Hyuga-sama," having claimed that title from her father, Hiashi, once he'd handed over the reins of the empire to her in order to facilitate his own entry into politics as the Member of Parliament for the Central Fire County constituency on the ruling Advanced People's Party ticket just last year. The honorific also served to distinguish her from her five-years-younger sister Hanabi, who was "Hyuga-san" for the employees and was already showing promise as a member of the Hyuga family empire. And although Hinata herself was now only 23 years of age, she was already proving herself as head of the company—while not as icily polite as her father had often been with his employees, in fact being significantly more approachable, she still did not stand for foolishness and always urged that employees should give their absolute best, then give more beyond that.

To the residents of Konoha Town, she was _the_ shining jewel in the city's crown. Even the paparazzi who sought pictures and juicy stories knew to tread very carefully when it came to this woman, who in any given month could be counted on to show up at any gala or other high-society event in tastefully elegant evening gowns, whether strapless or with sleeves, or in well-tailored business skirt-suits with appropriate matching pumps. Oh, stories abounded in the journalism fraternity about one reporter who, in an effort to generate an article for his paper, had hounded the lady relentlessly through the evening at one event and ended up getting into a confrontation—not with her, not with her husband, not with her father Hiashi or cousin Neji, not even with her only-slightly-less-famous bodyguard Nii Yugito, but with the _catering staff_ of all people, and the ensuing incident had been embarrassing enough that that particular reporter's face was never seen at any future high-society events. The residents were _that_ much protective of the honor of their "Hinata-hime," and they would never let any would-be interloper forget it.

To those who knew or had met her personally, Hinata was…yes, still glamorous in her own way and in her own right, but unlike what most people who _didn't_ have the privilege of interacting regularly with her would think, she didn't lord it over anyone. If you were of the same social standing as she, then she would greet you as an equal; if you were further down on the economic ladder than she was, she wouldn't rub her status in your face, but would instead greet you with a genuine smile, ask after your family, inquire after your health, and query if there was anything she could do to assist you in whatever way she might see that needed addressing. Whether going to the local market, or attending social functions at her alma mater Konoha High School, she was accessible, easy to talk to, and very difficult not to like in some degree.

For her close personal circle of friends and family, despite her fame, wealth and influence, she was still the same sweet, empathetic girl that one just couldn't help but like or, at least, be respectful toward. Naruto, her husband, would say with no small amount of satisfaction that, although they'd only been married one year now, she was truly _the_ woman he would trust himself to, no matter what; her mother-in-law Kushina treated her with all the affection she would have gotten had she been the older woman's biological daughter; and her father-in-law Minato hailed her with great respect, if only because—for those close enough to both of them to know—she was just as much unafraid as her mother-in-law to tell him to his face and without flinching when he was being foolish, despite the deadliness of his profession and the iron-clad viciousness he often wielded in that job against foolhardy cretins who were often, to put it mildly, too dumb to live. Among her immediate family, Hanabi looked up to her with incredible fondness, Neji aided her in the family business as much as he could but ultimately respected her enough to let her have the final say in matters of company importance, and Hiashi…would publicly say that her capacity as the new CEO impressed him adequately, and would privately give her a small smile and nod that told her more than words ever could.

And for all these reasons and more, Hyuga Hinata was glad nobody could see her in her current shameful state.

She was on her knees, a collar around her neck attached to a chain suspended from a wooden beam several feet above her position, and her hands spread out and chained to two columns, one on either side of her. She was tightly blindfolded and a gag in her mouth to keep her from screaming out, and she'd been stripped of all save her panties—mercifully, the modest green brief-style underwear she'd chosen to wear that day, though that didn't keep her from blushing so furiously she was sure her face could easily rival the color of a tomato. Her collar, while loose enough to allow her to breathe, was still well-secured, and its chain sturdy enough that she doubted she'd be able to jar it loose from where it was connected; and her wrist-cuffs were on tightly enough that she was sure they'd leave a decent imprint on her arms, assuming they ever got off anytime soon.

 _How could this have happened?_

Her mind wandered back to the very recent past…

 **OoOoO**

" _Happy birthday, Hinata-hime," Naruto smiled at his wife as he took his seat across from her._

" _Naruto…this is…" Hinata looked around her in awe. "I've never been to this restaurant before…"_

" _Me neither, to be honest," said Naruto. "This place was opened just eight months ago by the mayor of Sound City. I understand the service here is excellent…and I figured, why not add this to the list of items I want my lady to have for her birthday?"_

 _Hinata chuckled softly. "First the unexpected white lily bouquet that showed up by delivery on my desk at the office…now this…you're really going above and beyond the role of a husband, aren't you?"_

" _I'm just doing my best," Naruto said modestly. "After all, why settle for giving you less than that?"_

 _She cocked her head and looked him straight in the eye. "I'd have been just as happy if you took me for burgers back home at Burger Castle. You know I'm not fussy."_

" _I know, I know," Naruto conceded. "But I WANT to fuss over you."_

" _Aww…" Hinata's smile showed teeth now._

 _Naruto's expression became thoughtful. "Just think, Hinata…we've been married a year now, and before that we were dating for seven years or so…we've come pretty far by now, haven't we?"_

" _And we're still just getting started," said Hinata. "I have to admit, though, Naruto…it hasn't all been smooth sailing…but no relationship is without its flaws, you know?"_

" _Yeah. And…" He reached across and took her hand in his. "I…have a confession."_

" _Hmm?" she looked expectantly at him._

 _He sighed and cast his gaze toward the tablecloth. "There are times…I feel…I don't know…I worry that I might do something to screw things up, do something that'll disappoint you…that I'll let you down…"_

" _Stop."_

 _Hinata's voice had a certain tone that she only usually used to assert her authority with unruly house-servants. "Naruto…" Seeing that she had his attention, she softened her tone. "We've had our bumps in the road over these past eight years, there's no denying that. But I've come to know you in that time. You try your best, and you do well at it. I can't and won't ask you to do more than what I know you're capable of. And…I love you. You're my husband, and I'm your wife, and we are supposed to encourage each other and work together as a team. That's what marriage is all about. Marriage doesn't stop with the wedding—it continues till death parts us from each other. My job is to make sure you never forget it."_

 _Naruto gave her an intense look. "Hinata…"_

 _One corner of her mouth curved upward slightly. "And besides, dear Naruto-kun…" Her former affectionate address for him slipped out from between her lips, in a low whisper. "We're celebrating my birthday. There's no need to be so morose all of a sudden. So…cheer up, hubby."_

 _She'd elected to wear peach-colored high-heels to go with her office attire that day; now, beneath the table, she carefully slipped one off and lifted her bare foot to caress the inside of Naruto's ankle—and it was a testament to his level of control, she thought, that he didn't start at the unexpected contact. Atop the table, she kept a gentle grip on his hand; down below, she lightly pinched his pants-leg between her big and second toes._

"… _what're you doing, Mrs. Uzumaki?" Naruto asked in a low, casual tone, his expression not once changing._

" _I'm sitting at a table in a lovely restaurant, holding hands with my lovely husband and sharing conversation with him. What does it look like I'm doing?" Hinata asked even as, under the table—and she was silently grateful the tablecloth hung low enough to conceal anything there from any potential prying eyes—her foot slowly travelled upward, rubbing on and around his knee._

" _It seems to me like you're trying to send me a hidden message of some sort," Naruto remarked, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles._

 _Hinata propped her free arm's elbow on the table and rested her chin in her palm, cocking an eyebrow at Naruto as she did so. "And what message would that be?" and as she asked the question, she guided her foot further up_ __ _and pressed her toes down along the way._

 _His eyes were narrowed slightly. "The kind of message that indicates that there's more to the Hyuga heiress than meets the eye."_

 _Beneath her sole, Hinata could feel a gradual distension—and she silently praised Naruto's poker-face as she caught said distension between her big and second toes and lightly squeezed. "Well, I think the message deserves a clear answer, don't you?"_

 _And just at that moment a waiter came up with two menus in hand. "A pleasant good evening, sir, madam," he greeted them. "Would you care to order?"_

 _Hinata did not release her toe-grip; she simply tightened it further. "Why, yes, thank you," she replied as she accepted a menu._

 _Naruto lightly bit his lower lip as he took his menu and scanned through it. "Everything looks good here," he remarked._

" _I see the special of the evening is…beef joint with mushroom sauce…" and Hinata now maneuvered her foot up and down as best as she could without shifting her upper body. "Served with bread-sticks. I think I'd like to try that, please."_

 _The waiter jotted down the order. "And for sir?" he spoke to Naruto._

 _Naruto eyed his wife. "The…stuffed salmon seems good. I'll have that with a fresh salad, ranch dressing."_

" _Very good!" the waiter beamed. "And to drink?"_

 _Again Hinata scanned the menu. "I'd like the Irish moss, please."_

" _Same for me…and could you maybe put a fresh lemon on each?" asked Naruto._

" _Can do!" the waiter nodded. "I will return in a moment." He turned and headed off._

 _Setting her menu aside, Hinata gave Naruto a look. "I think the_ _ **beef**_ _sounds promising," and she gave a toe-squeeze to emphasize the word._

" _And I'm wondering what the salmon will be_ _ **stuffed**_ _with," said Naruto, and now he allowed a small smile to cross his lips. "But, ah…I think I need to freshen up a bit before dinner. Could you, ahem, pardon me?"_

 _Reluctantly, Hinata released her toe-hold on him and slipped her foot back into her shoe. "Don't be long."_

 _Naruto stood up—carefully, and with one hand in his pocket—and hurried off. Hinata watched him leave with amusement on her face. "No, sweetheart…don't be long indeed," she whispered._

 _A few minutes passed…then the waiter returned with the couples' drinks on a tray. "Ah, the good gentleman isn't here now?" he remarked._

" _He went to the restroom," Hinata explained._

" _Hmm, very well." The waiter set one drink before Hinata and then placed the other on Naruto's side of the table. "Your dinner orders will be brought shortly, madam."_

" _Thank you," and Hinata nodded her acknowledgement and then watched as the waiter went off again. "Well…let's see how good the Irish moss is."_

 _She took up the glass and brought it to her lips, taking a mouthful of the beverage. "Mmm…delicious," she whispered. "The taste…it's swirling around the tongue…" She took another mouthful—and another—and another. "Nice…but I'd better save the rest of it to go with dinner…"_

 _She set the glass back down. "Now, where's Naruto? He'd better hurry back…hurry…"_

 _Why did she feel so…sleepy…all of a…sudden? "Wha…uh…"_

 _She leaned forward against the table…and that was the last coherent thing before the unexpected fog of sleep overwhelmed her._

 **OoOoO**

… _and the next thing I know, I'm here…_ She tried tugging at her wrist-chains again—still wouldn't budge. _Wherever "here" is…_

The sound of a door opening off to her left caught her ear…then footsteps treading on what she could now tell, by hearing, must be stone tiles, treading her way. "So Konoha Town's sweetheart is awake now…"

Her head jerked up at the sound of _that voice,_ a voice she was well familiar with. "Grrrk…" she grunted through her gag.

"Wondering where you are, are you? Well, that's not important. Wondering how you got here? That I can answer—I had a good amount of sleeping pills crushed and added to your beverage. Not enough to cause you harm, obviously, because if that happened, then our little…meeting…wouldn't be possible, wouldn't you agree?"

Hinata breathed steadily, if a bit more deeply, through her nostrils. She tugged again at her wrist-cuffs—they still wouldn't budge.

"Look at you, dear, sweet princess…look at you." The speaker's amusement hung in the air. "How do you think the people who look up to you would feel if they could see you now, hmm? Bared of more than just your clothes…all authority stripped away…all your respect dashed…where's your power now, hmm? Helpless, trapped, unable to do anything about it…and unable to stop anything _I_ can do to _you."_

 **SMACK!**

Hinata couldn't help the gurgling cry from her throat as she felt the stinging pain across her lower back— **SMACK!** —then another sting seconds later across the back of her right thigh. She gripped her wrist-chains tightly, willing her mind to numb the sting on her body— **SMACK!** —only to feel a much harder one on her left buttock, this one resulting in an involuntary squeal escaping from behind her gag— **SMACK!** —and another helpless squeal as she felt this sting on her right sole.

"Humiliated yet? Disgraced yet?" her captor asked with a very evident smirk she couldn't help but hear. "Well, guess what? That's just a preview of what's to come. And I'm going to make sure…that your shame is so deeply imprinted in you that you'll never be able to erase it no matter what you do. And there's nothing you can do about it…"

Breathing rapidly as she felt the sting of where she'd been hit, Hinata heard footsteps coming around to her front…then she felt a hand cupping her chin in an abrupt movement…and another hand pulled on her gag, working it out of her mouth.

Her captor spoke again, in a whisper right at her ear. "Unless you say the safe-word…'Hiroko'."

 **OoOoO**

Much later, Hinata would still not be sure whether to laugh or be offended that Naruto used her late mother's name as the safe-word…and she made a mental note to keep her more, ahem, risqué novels in a better hiding place than under her side of the mattress they shared together, lest he get further inspiration from the, ah, less reserved of them for future stunts such as this.

Not that this particular endeavor hadn't brought a, uh, climactic end to her birthday—she couldn't deny it, and he'd never have let her deny it anyway.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 23

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: So…yeah. Here's a New Year's Eve present for all the Naruto/Hinata fans.

The inspiration for this came, at least in part, from a _Justice League of America_ comic I saw where J'onn J'onzz's superpowered evil side, Fernus the Burning, got Wonder Woman wrapped up in her own Lasso of Truth and asked her how long she'd secretly fantasized about being tied up, having all power and authority stripped away—and reminding her that she had to answer truthfully.

Well. As if the section of the "Superdickery" website dedicated to Wonder Woman's apparent "tying up" fascination wasn't already suggestive enough.

Aaaaaand yes, for the purpose of this fic's general universe, Hinata's mother's name is Hiroko. As you should know, she was never named in canon.

Anyway…happy 2018 the moment it comes (in a few hours from this writing)! And don't worry, more Gaidens are on the way!


	24. Duct Tape

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 24 – Duct Tape**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place between Chapters 152 and 153 of the main story.)_

Monday, July 17, 12:00 a.m., in a rough-looking neighbourhood in Konoha Town.

"…Hmm…" The purple-haired outlaw known as Tsuchinoe swirled her beer in its mug for a few seconds before taking a mouthful of the harsh-tasting brew. "It seems the stories from the underground add up."

Sitting across from her was the equally purple-haired Arashi, leader of the local Purple Storm gang, and he was casually sipping from a beer bottle. "Who'd have expected…that whisker-faced kid was one of the Kyuushingai…" He chuckled. "How good is the info, though?"

"I managed to look up some of the dregs from Mizuki's old gang and a few of the guys who used to run with the Crossbones Crew," Tsuchinoe replied. "It seems the kid openly announced himself as one of the Terrors to Mizuki's people, the day they got busted, and the Crossbones Crew had a run-in with the kid's mom and heard it from her directly that he was one of the Nine. And I kept my ears to the ground in the Yamanaka people's neighbourhood, too—apparently he's an unofficial hero to the businesspeople in the area, seeing as he _did_ free them from being under Mizuki's thumb."

"And yet, to look at him, you'd never be able to tell." Arashi took another swig from his beer bottle. "At least, the way I've seen him act at school, you'd think he was just some weird idiot."

"I've seen that type before—they pretend they're less threatening than they really are," said Tsuchinoe.

"So how do we deal with the kid? Do you need some of the Purple Storms to take him out?" asked Arashi.

Tsuchinoe shook her head. "No need—all I need is his address, and _that_ I got from the Crossbones guys."

"Hmm...you're sure you don't need backup on this? This _is_ a Kyuushingai you're dealing with, even as young as he is," said Arashi.

"Stop stressing," Tsuchinoe waved him off. "I already have a plan to take care of him. This'll have to be a one-woman show, now. No need to get you or the gang mixed up in it...plus, I doubt any of them will be eager to tangle with him again so soon after how he and his buddies humiliated them the other day."

Arashi fingered his chin. "Yeah, about that...the guy has his friends backing him up every so often. Even if you don't want help dealing with him directly, you might want to make sure his friends don't get in the way again. Makes sense, no?"

Tsuchinoe sighed. "Well...when you're right, you're right," she said. "But that being the case, I'll have to do this a little differently from what you're thinking...I'll have to ask for help elsewhere."

"Ask for help elsewhere? Why?" Arashi cocked an eyebrow. "The Purple Storms are capable enough."

"Yes, but that guy already knows I'm tight with the gang. If even one purple jacket gets seen anywhere near him or his friends, they'll make the connection real fast and then they'll be heading for your doorstep, and if you get in trouble now, your bail will be revoked—right?" Tsuchinoe pointed out. "At least if I get help from people not connected with the Purple Storms, nobody will think as readily about any possible connections between us in this case."

Arashi put down his beer and folded his arms over his chest. "At least tell me, then...isn't there anything the Purple Storms can do for you at all?"

"Hmm...well…" Tsuchinoe considered. "Now that I think of it..." She looked at Arashi. "Actually, I think I might need _your_ smooth-talking. Wanna roll with me for an hour?"

"Oh? Where to?" Arashi sounded interested.

Tsuchinoe put a hand on her hip and smirked. "Shippuden Tavern."

 **OoOoO**

Twenty minutes later, at the seedy-looking bar deep in Konoha Town's underbelly...

"...so what do you say? Wanna make yourself famous in the underground?" Arashi asked.

He and Tsuchinoe were sitting at a table in a corner of the bar, with glasses of alcohol in front of them. Sitting across from them was a rough-looking man with spiky black hair, a scar running diagonally across his face, and a red bandana covering his brow. "Like how Rokusho Aoi wanted to make me and the other saps famous?" he snorted in disgust. "I'll pass on that."

"Oh?" said Tsuchinoe. "Does this mean the Flame-heart Posse's Furido Kazuma is all talk and no balls?"

Kazuma's face contorted into a scowl. "Watch your mouth, bitch. The Shippuden Tavern might be a safe-zone for all the gangs in this town, but that doesn't mean I won't cave your face in if you diss me."

"Easy, guys," Arashi waved a placating hand. "Look, man, if you don't want in on this, you don't have to join up. But think about it...who else would be able to say they took part in killing a Kyuushingai when the chance came to them, eh? We're taking the chance we have right now, and once this is done, our rep will go through the roof. You and your Flame-heart Posse got your asses kicked by a bunch of kids—don't you want to redeem yourselves? And what better way to do that than to do what the Crossbones Crew was too cowardly to do, what even Mizuki himself couldn't manage...icing one of the Terrors?"

"We know all about how Rokusho Aoi tried to use your gang, the Crossbones Crew, and the Ice-Eyes Gang to target the Kyuushingai's friends," said Tsuchinoe. "But back then all of you went into that little plan without having proper information about who exactly Uzumaki was—and the Crossbones Crew even turned coward because of it. But right here and now...you'd at least know what you're getting into, what to expect, and you'd be well-equipped to face it head-on."

Silence reigned at the table as the two of them eyeballed Kazuma. He, in turn, cast his gaze on the table's surface as a frown came over his face. "This Uzumaki kid...even if he's a brat, if it's true he's one of the Nine, it'll be risky," he said after a moment. "They say he beat Mizuki's whole gang all by himself..."

"And with him around, do you think any of our gangs will be able to operate the way we want?" Arashi asked coolly. "But with him gone, we can fill the void Mizuki left behind. Heck, anybody who gets to be known as having helped to killed a Kyuushingai, everybody else will respect that person to the moon and back. Don't you want a piece of that kind of action?"

Kazuma eyed him. "And what about your gang, the Purple Storms? You could claim that chance for yourselves if you really wanted to. Why come to me at all?"

"Because the Purple Storms want to play it smart," said Tsuchinoe, tapping a finger on her forehead for emphasis. "When it comes to the streets, the smartest gangsters are the ones that lead. You should know—you're the boss of your gang, so that means you're the smartest of your bunch. Only a fool goes the coward's route—especially when it comes to Kyuushingai-killing."

Again silence dominated the table. Then Kazuma sighed. "All right, I'll bite. How long do I have to decide whether to link up with you on this?"

Tsuchinoe glanced at the clock on the wall above the bar. "It's 12:25…you have until 4:30 this morning."

"Why so soon?" Kazuma frowned.

"Because I have a workable plan to get rid of the Kyuushingai kid, a plan that hinges on us acting before sunup," said Tsuchinoe. "The weather report tonight said that sunrise time today is 5:50. By then, all things being equal, the plan should be finished."

"Hmm." Kazuma fingered his chin. "Keep talking…"

Arashi and Tsuchinoe exchanged a brief glance and a smirk.

 **OoOoO**

1:00 a.m.

"Clue us in, Tsuchinoe…why're you showing up on our turf at this hour of the night?" the tough-looking female twentysomething asked with suspicion on her face, and behind her several equally thuggish-looking individuals tightened their grips on various makeshift weapons as if to punctuate the question.

Tsuchinoe casually put her hands in her pockets and gave the thugs a smirk. "You Ice-Eyes gangsters can relax—I'm not here to pick a fight," she replied. "I thought I'd do you a courtesy and give you an opportunity to make yourselves famous."

"Like that rat Rokusho Aoi offered us the other day?" another Ice-Eyes girl scoffed. "We'll pass, thanks."

"I heard about that," said Tsuchinoe. "He offered you, the Flame-heart Posse, and the Crossbones Crew some too-good-to-be-true deals on Gold Sand if you'd take out some specific people for him. Well, I'm here to talk a better bit of business."

One of the male Ice-Eyes sneered at Tsuchinoe. "And what could you possibly have to say to us that would make us interested?"

Tsuchinoe smiled more broadly. "Any of you know about that kid who they say beat up Mizuki's gang all by himself back in January?"

The thugs all looked at one another as they processed the question. "Yeah…we've heard stuff," the head Ice-Eyes said carefully. "Like how that kid is supposed to be a Kyuushingai. We don't know how true it is, but better to play it safe than stick our necks out, we say."

"Especially after how your leader Fubuki got shot dead, right?" Tsuchinoe asked—and she did not fail to notice the gang members stiffen at that. "Sounds like you've got your tails between your legs to me."

Several of the gangsters circled her with their weapons at the ready. "You mind repeating that?" the head female gangster asked with wrath in her tone.

"Prove me wrong, then!" Tsuchinoe snapped. "You've already gotten your street cred lowered this much ever since you guys took on Rokusho Aoi's deal that time—do you want to end up like the Hawks gang, reduced to nothing but gutter trash and in danger of being wiped out? Then do what you gotta do to make sure everybody knows you're still strong! Make everybody know you're still one of Konoha Town's top-tier gangs who nobody should mess with!"

The thugs still had scowls on their faces…but they didn't seem as anxious to attack her for her earlier comment, Tsuchinoe noted. Then the head female gangster stepped forward. "What…exactly…are you pitching to us, here?"

Tsuchinoe crossed her arms over her chest. "I'll cut to the chase. That kid I mentioned, the one who beat Mizuki? Well, I'll tell you straight-up—yes, I've been able to confirm from the leftovers of Mizuki's gang and from elsewhere in the underground that he is in fact a Kyuushingai."

The gangsters began to murmur amongst themselves.

"But!" Tsuchinoe lifted a finger to stop the whispers. "I'm not asking you to go fight him directly. He was able to fight Mizuki's gang by himself—obviously, expecting you to succeed where even Mizuki failed would be a waste of time. What I'm thinking, instead…is to use tactics to kill the guy."

A different Ice-Eyes male frowned. "What d'you mean, tactics?"

"Think about it," said Tsuchinoe. "If anybody should try to attack a Kyuushingai head-on, they're likely to get their own asses kicked instead. What I'm suggesting…is to play it smart and attack him when he least expects it, when he's least able to do anything about it…and at the same time, to do it in such a way that the cops will never be able to prevent it from happening."

The head female gangster's scowl deepened. "You've got five minutes to outline what you have in mind."

Tsuchinoe nodded. "Right…"

 **OoOoO**

2:00 a.m.

Yamanaka Ino shifted a little in her bed, unconsciously drawing the sheets up to her chin. "Mmm…"

" _YAAAAH!" Crash!_

A strange burning odor filled her nose. "Cough, cough…ugh, wha…?" she murmured, some of her sleep drifting away as she rubbed her eyes.

"Come get some of this!"

"Piss off!"

Those shouts came from directly outside her window, tearing through Ino's remaining fog of sleep. "What in the…?" she hissed as she slipped out of bed and trotted over to the window.

Her eyes widened at what she saw outside: right in the middle of the street was a blazing fire, with several thuggish individuals engaging in a massive brawl around it. Some of the punks were armed with various weapons and were using them with deadly intent; others were unarmed, yet made no bones about punching and kicking as hard and fast as they could; and still others were lying on the ground in a manner that made it clear they were in pain. From an upstairs window at the house next door, she could see the homeowners covertly looking out with clear fear on their faces, likely not wanting to make a sudden move lest any of the thugs should see them and act aggressively in the direction of the house.

Seconds later she was tearing downstairs, where her parents were already at the front door. "Mom! Dad!"

"We know," Mrs. Yamanaka said grimly.

"Ino, get on the phone and call the police," Mr. Yamanaka spoke up. "Those street punks have got to go!"

"Yes, sir!" Ino nodded.

 **OoOoO**

"Ibiki! Oi, Ibiki, wake up!" Idate snapped as he shook his brother.

"Mmm…ugh…" Ibiki, roughly roused, looked up crossly into Idate's face. "Idate? What time is it?" he asked in a still-sleepy voice.

"Never mind that—we've got action outside!" Idate snapped. "Some guys are fighting right outside the house—a whole lot of them!"

In an instant Ibiki was reaching under his pillow and pulling out his pistol, followed by him jumping out of bed. "Agh, what a pain…" he growled.

Hurrying out of the room, he glanced through the living room window and saw the truth of Idate's news—right outside the house, several gangsters were engaged in street combat of both the armed and unarmed variety, cursing and shouting at each other as they did so. "Crud…I recognize their gang colors," he snarled as he got into a crouch and moved away from the window. "Looks like the remnants of the Ice-Eyes Gang and the Flame-heart Posse decided to kick off their rivalry again."

Idate, stooping low at the entrance to the living room, shot Ibiki a worried look. "So what do we do?"

"You get back inside and stay low," Ibiki hissed at him. "I'm calling for backup."

 **OoOoO**

" _All available units, we have reports of gang activity on Juniper Avenue; there's a massive brawl going on along the roadway in that area. Also, our own Detective Morino has just called in requesting backup to contain a similar situation along Grove Row Lane. All available units, please respond."_

"To think I hoped for a night of quiet patrolling…" The beat cop picked up the radio receiver and pressed its button. "Dispatch, this is car number 3075, in the vicinity of Grove Row Lane. ETA is one minute."

 **OoOoO**

" _Car number 2697, responding to the reports from Juniper Avenue. ETA is three minutes."_

"Thank you." The dispatcher put down her receiver. "What is going on with these gangs all of a sudden?"

 **OoOoO**

"Agh!" The Flame-heart Posse member gasped in pain as the Ice-Eyes gangster slammed him into a wall. "Geez, dude, easy! We're supposed to be _pretending_ here—that was the plan!" he snarled.

The Ice-Eyes shrugged. "Might as well make it look real." Then he swung his fist into his opponent's face.

 _Wop-wop-wop!_ A siren erupted over the noise of the street fight. Then: _"All of you, hands over your heads! You're under arrest!"_ a bullish officer's voice burst out over a megaphone.

"Crap—it's the pigs! Scatter!" someone in the crowd yelled, and everyone proceeded to do just that.

 **OoOoO**

From where she now was, Tsuchinoe could see the flashing red and blue lights of numerous police cruisers in the distance. "Good…you keep the cops busy, boys and girls," she whispered. "And while you do that…"

She peeked out from her hiding place around the corner of a house, and surveyed the streets of the neighborhood. Aside from the street-lamps in the vicinity, there were no lights on to betray any movement. "Good…seems everybody's in bed," she remarked. "Well, then, time to find this kid's house…"

She stepped out and made her way along the road, keeping as much out of the glare of the street-lamps as possible. Then a few houses further down…and there, across the street from where she now stood, was the address she'd gleaned from the Crossbones Crew. _All right, then…that's Uzumaki's address. So…_

Tsuchinoe scrutinized the house. _All right…from the information I got from the underground, Uzumaki will booby-trap his own house if he's got enough advance notice that unwanted guests are coming to visit. But he hasn't had any indication of what I've got planned for him tonight…so…_

Crossing the street, she slipped into the yard and headed around to the back door, checking the windows as she went along. _Locked…locked…locked…every one of the windows, locked…_ Then, reaching the back door, she tried the knob—and it turned easily. _Hello, what have we here…_

Then she paused. _Wait…don't just rush in. This is too easy. Could be booby-trapped._

She gingerly pulled the door open, then reached into her pocket, pulled out a small flashlight, and turned it on before scrutinizing the room before her. And her suspicions were confirmed: there was a trip-wire just inside the entrance, with rat-traps set out all across the floor. Eyes narrowing, Tsuchinoe stepped over the trip-wire and around each rat-trap, heading for the inner doorway to go to the main hallway.

 _All right…I'm past those ridiculous excuses for traps. Now…_

She shone the flashlight around as she took in her surroundings. Just ahead of her was the living room, with the dining area just adjoining it; nearby was a small staircase leading up to what she figured was a bedroom; and just down the hallway was another door that she assumed, from her position, must be the front entrance to the house. _Okay…now if I was that kid, where would I likely sleep…_

She cast her glance toward the staircase. _Of course. Kids usually have their rooms on the upper floors._

As quietly as she could, she went up the stairs, taking each step with deliberate heaviness. As she ascended, she fished into her waistband…and her grip tightened around the handle of the bowie knife that was secured there before she carefully drew it out into the open and eyed the blade.

 _One slash of his jugular, one plunge into his heart—quicker, quieter and surer than a gun would be._

Reaching the upstairs door, she gripped the doorknob, twisted it, pulled…the door opened noiselessly…

Uzumaki Naruto was on his bed not far away from the door, his limbs sprawled all over the mattress with his sheets messily spread out and his pillows here and there except near his head, and he was snoring loudly. Seeing this, Tsuchinoe allowed herself a smirk. _Perfect…he's well out of it…he'll never know what got him. Now, then…_

She stalked forward, bowie knife ready in one hand, and she leaned over, reached forward with her other hand and clamped a tight grip over his mouth to stifle any noise he might make—

 _WHAM!_

Seconds later Tsuchinoe staggered back, blood spewing from her mouth as she inadvertently dropped the knife in response to Naruto's fist making abrupt contact with her face. "Mmmph…!" she grimaced, one hand coming up to cover her bleeding lips.

"…ow…wha…?" Naruto flinched as he flexed his fingers, his eyes fluttering open. "Hell…was I dreaming…?"

Tsuchinoe's eyes flashed. "Damn you…!" she snarled as she lunged at Naruto.

His head snapped up, his view taking in her shadowy form in the darkness of the room. Instantly he lashed out with one foot, catching her right in the face and knocking her off-balance, though she still landed heavily on the bed. Sitting up, Naruto rushed to yank the sheets off his person; unfortunately, due to how tangled he'd gotten in them, he couldn't remove them fast enough to react in time as Tsuchinoe, recovering much more quickly, grabbed him by the throat and shoved him back down on the bed.

"I told you I'd pay you back for humiliating me, you little brat!" Tsuchinoe hissed as she clamped her other hand around Naruto's neck, throttling him. "Time to deliver on that promise!"

"Ack…!" His breath cut off by her strangulation, Naruto managed to eye his assailant. "Ah…leggo…"

Tsuchinoe's grip tightened; so did Naruto's windpipe. He gripped her wrists—she wouldn't budge.

 _Damn it…this vixen's gonna kill me in my own bed…unless…!_

His hands shot up and grabbed at her breasts. "Wha—" Tsuchinoe only had that one moment to be taken aback before— "AAAAIIIYYYYYAAAA!" a piercing scream erupted from her throat as Naruto's fingers _wrenched_ her nipples…and seconds later she was tumbling off the bed, both arms covering her abused breasts as her mouth remained open long after the scream had expired.

Coughing in an effort to get back his breath, Naruto managed to toss off the sheets and clamber out of bed. "Ack…cough, cough…grr…" He glanced over to where Tsuchinoe was just getting up from her formerly prone position, arms covering her breasts even as she glared at him in the dark.

"Damn little freak!" Tsuchinoe exploded at him. "What kind of guy grabs a girl like _that?"_

"What kind of girl tries to kill a guy _in his own house?"_ Naruto shot back.

Heavy footsteps suddenly sounded outside the doorway, and as Tsuchinoe automatically turned her head to look, seconds later the room light was turned on—and standing there was a red-haired woman she didn't recognize. "Naruto, what—" the new arrival started.

"Mom, get back!" Naruto snapped.

A glint of steel on the floor caught Tsuchinoe's eye—her bowie knife—and in a flash she scooped it up in one hand and lunged at Naruto's mother, arm drawn back to stab forward. "Die, bitch!" she screamed.

The redhead's response was swift—she slammed the door right in Tsuchinoe's face. _BAM!_

"Agh…!" Tsuchinoe staggered backward from having inadvertently collided face-first with the door, and in doing so she turned to face Naruto…just in time to realize, too late, that his fist was coming at her face.

 _ **WHACK!**_

A moment later Tsuchinoe was back on the floor, insensate, the knife having fallen out of her grip once again. Naruto, meantime, flexed his fingers. "Oi, Kushina, if you're still out there, you can come in now."

The door opened once more, and Kushina regarded the unwelcome visitor. "Geez, Naruto, if you're going to have a strange older woman in your bedroom this late at night, at least let me know ahead of time so I can do breakfast for her too in the morning, huh?" she deadpanned.

"Real funny," Naruto growled. "You mind helping me tie her up before she regains consciousness?"

"Ooh, so you're into kinky stuff too, huh? I'm telling Hinata on you!" Kushina replied even as she crossed over to Naruto's bed, grabbed his sheet, and proceeded to tie Tsuchinoe's hands behind her back with it.

"Oh, shut up!" Naruto barked.

"Uuungh…ow…"

Mother and son looked down at Tsuchinoe as she groaned, consciousness painfully returning to her. "Ah…damn, what hit me?" the gangster moaned aloud.

"Well, that was quick…guess you're a tougher cookie than I thought," said Naruto.

Tsuchinoe glared over her shoulder at him. "You bastard…you were asleep—I had you dead to rights!"

"Uh, hello? Kyuushingai? As in, somebody who spent the 365 days looking out for people trying to kill me even when I was sleeping?" Naruto shook his head. "Putting your hand over my face like that was the worst thing you could do—I actually thought I was dreaming that some punk was trying to suffocate me. How'd you _think_ I'd react?"

Kushina's expression darkened. "You know what? Naruto, how about we teach this bitch a lesson?"

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

Kushina grinned. "Fetch me some hot sauce and all the duct tape you can find."

"…huh?" Tsuchinoe's scowl shifted to a look of confusion.

 **OoOoO**

4:00 a.m.

"Geez…you punks are more trouble than you're worth," the cop driving the squad-car groused to the unwilling passengers behind him. "Can't you all just sleep at night like decent citizens?"

"Screw you, cop," one of the two Flame-Heart gangsters in the backseat snarled back, while the two Ice-Eyes gangsters seated beside them flipped their middle fingers up where they knew they would be seen in the rear-view mirror.

The cop's partner in the front passenger seat shook her head. "Well, at least you guys will be in cells soon enough…" She trailed off. "Uh, what's that over there in the square?"

The first cop slowed down so as to see what his partner was talking about. "…I assume you and I are seeing the same thing?"

The four gangsters also looked—and blanched. "That's Tsuchinoe!" one of the Ice-Eyes hissed. "The Kyuushingai kid got her!"

"Shut up, dude!" the other three growled at him.

"…yeah, that _is_ Tsuchinoe, all right," the second cop said after a moment. "But…how'd she get like THAT?"

"You know, something tells me our friends here know something about that," and the first cop glanced over his shoulder at the four thugs. "Care to share, guys?"

The thug who'd squealed wilted under the glare of his three fellow felons. "Thanks a lot, moron," the three addressed him in unison.

 **OoooO**

4:30 a.m.

"So let me get this straight…" Chief Inuzuka Tsume kneaded her nose-bridge between her thumb and forefinger. "You got word from some of our officers that Tsuchinoe was here, in the town square, hung up from a lamp-post, covered in duct tape and smelling like she'd been baptized in hot sauce, with a note attached saying that she was an early Christmas present courtesy of Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Yup," Ibiki nodded. "And they got the thugs they busted talking—apparently those gang brawls all over town were staged by the Ice-Eyes and Flame-Heart gangs to distract all of us while Tsuchinoe herself would then slip into Uzumaki's house to kill him."

Tsume's eyes narrowed. "The Ice-Eyes are without a leader right now—but the Flame-Hearts still have Furido Kazuma as their boss. I want him brought in. NOW."

 **OoOoO**

4:45 a.m.

"You want to talk to me for some noise the Flame-Hearts have been making? Why?" Kazuma asked.

"Don't act innocent," Ibiki said gruffly. "Or did you forget your bail can be revoked if you're suspected of being party to a crime?"

Kazuma gave him a defiant look. "Whatever those guys have done, I know nothing about, and you can't prove otherwise," he said. "You said it; I'm on bail. Why am I gonna jeopardize that by doing anything nutty? And anyway, I've been here at home quite a while now…just ask her," and he gestured to his bed, where a woman was covering her otherwise nude body with a sheet and giving Ibiki a baleful stare.

Ibiki turned up his nose. "Yeah, because a hooker will cover for a gang-banger."

"I'm a working girl, cop," the woman said sourly. "And I don't do all-nighters for free. And unless you're joining in, I'm not gonna get paid for the interruption."

Kazuma flashed a triumphant grin at Ibiki. "You heard the lady."

"…hmph." Ibiki jabbed a finger at Kazuma. "You watch yourself." Then he stalked out of the room.

 **OoOoO**

5:00 a.m.

Arashi's aching bladder woke him, and muscle memory directed him out of bed and to the bathroom within a minute. He flicked the light-switch on and headed for the toilet bowl, relieving himself a moment later; then, having flushed the bowl, he moved toward the face-basin and began washing his hands…

…and then all movement ceased and all sleep fled from his body as he took in his reflection in the bathroom mirror…which included a message written on a piece of duct-tape plastered onto his forehead.

 _TSUCHINOE FAILED. WATCH YOURSELVES OR ELSE._

It took all of Arashi's fortitude not to faint right there.

 **OoOoO**

And at the Uzumaki home at that moment, Naruto was back in bed, fast asleep, the now-empty duct-tape roll and the Sharpie he'd used to write the message to Arashi on the floor beside his bed.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 24

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Yes, folks, a new Gaiden chapter has been completed! And yes, I know it's been months since the last one…plenty of stuff has been happening and I have been kept quite busy, including with personal matters. But this I can assure you right now—as long as the story's timeline allows, I will be ensuring that Naruto's brewing issue with Tsuchinoe, the Purple Storm gang, and other gangs in Konoha Town will be dealt with so as to flow into the timeline of the main tale fluidly.

Next Gaiden, I'll be returning to a few minor Gaiden characters. Which ones? Read on and see!


	25. Cafe Confrontation

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 25 – Café Confrontation**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place on Tuesday, August 15, three weeks after the events at Parliament in the final arc of the main story.)_

"Sooooo, you're the new guy who's been making motions in Guren's ocean, huh?"

Guren flushed bright crimson. "Sumire!"

"What? I can't embarrass my little sister now? It's in the universal 'older sibling rules'," Sumire chuckled.

"There's no such thing!" Guren hissed.

Sagi, sitting beside Guren, let out a sheepish chuckle. "Actually, I suspect my sister Toki would say otherwise…"

"Hmph! Well, she certainly wasn't making any complaints about you when I met her," Guren huffed.

"Ah, so she's met your family, then, Sagi-san?" Sumire nodded her approval. "Nice, very nice."

Sagi smiled. "Well, Dad's approved, at least…I think Toki's still playing the overprotective little sister."

"Heh-heh. Sounds like your sister really loves you, Sagi-san." Sumire smirked.

The three were sitting inside a café in Iwa City's main square, with steaming hot lattés in front of them. Now Sumire picked up her bug and took a brief sip before setting it back down. "Honestly, though, I'm happy to finally meet you in person, Sagi-san," she remarked to the purple-haired young man. "And I'm happy for you, sis," she addressed Guren. "You've really picked up a good match, from what I can see."

"Yes…I do believe I have." Guren gave Sagi a brief glance and a smile to accompany it.

"Sumire-san," Sagi spoke up, "Guren-san's told me you've been married quite a while, yourself."

"Sixteen years, to be exact," Sumire confirmed.

"Sixteen? Nice!" Sagi nodded sincerely. "Your husband must be a truly fortunate guy."

"Well…more like, _I'm_ a fortunate woman," said Sumire. "My hubby's been a true paragon all the years we've been together. Not that we haven't had a few bumps in our married life, but so far we've been able to get through the roadblocks together and be true to the spirit of marriage…unlike _some_ people we've had the displeasure of knowing…" and here she gave Guren a pointed look.

Guren sighed. "You'll never miss an opportunity to badmouth my ex, will you?"

"I make no apologies." Sumire looked back at Sagi. "You _do_ know about him, Sagi-san?"

"Just the basics." Sagi shrugged. "He cheated on her, so she divorced him. It's sensitive, I know."

"You haven't seen or heard of sensitive yet, Sagi-kun." It was Guren's turn to smirk. "Or maybe I should tell you about Sumire's spa experience…"

Sumire was in the process of sipping her latté again—and nearly choked on hearing that. "Guren! I told you that in confidence!" she hissed, a betrayed look on her face.

"See, sometimes younger siblings can embarrass the older ones too." Guren had a smug expression as she sipped on her latté.

"Ah-ha-ha…right." Sagi chuckled nervously.

"Anyway! On to other subjects…" Sumire took a deep breath to recompose herself. "You guys have been dating for a few months now, yes? Have you discussed…your next step?"

"We've had a few discussions, yes," said Sagi. "But we don't want to rush too quickly into anything. We're just taking it one step at a time, coordinating life-plans so they mesh together smoothly, getting to know each other's respective families better—which is where this meeting comes in, by the way; I was really hoping I could meet Guren-san's big sister who she's mentioned quite often."

"And now you've met me, and I've met you. I think this is going to be the beginning of a lovely friendship, as long as Guren's happy with you." Sumire's smile thinned a little. "That _is_ the case, right, sis…?"

"Sagi-kun is definitely more sensitive to my opinions than I initially gave him credit for," said Guren. "Mind you, there are some things where we'll always have differences of opinion, but as long as I'm not beating him over the head with my views and he's not trying to force his ideas onto me, and we can discuss those differences like mature adults, then that's what's most important, right?"

"Just make sure you don't get carried away by the euphoria of romance, that's all." Sumire's smile was totally gone now. "It's nice to be in love and be head-over-heels for one another—but please make sure you balance reality with any high expectations you have. Even with me and my husband…the first few years weren't all smooth sailing, as I indicated before, and that was even more so after we had our kids. But if you really are willing to weather the storms together, face them head-on, and be mature adults…"

Sagi nodded. "That's the only feasible way to deal with whatever lies ahead of us."

"Don't worry, Sumire. I learned my lesson the first time around." Guren eyed her sister. "I'll make sure to learn from my mistakes. Experience teaches, right?"

"And I'm sure experience is a _very_ good teacher…" Sumire's smirk returned as she cast a significant look at Sagi. "Right, Sagi-san?"

"Ahem…ah…" Sagi blushed.

"Moving right along!" Guren broke in. "How's the real estate market lately, Sumire?"

Sumire shrugged and took another sip of her latté. "It's been pretty slow lately. Not a lot of fresh demand for housing in the last few months, but I'm still keeping my network of contacts active for any potential buyers looking for prime property. On the other hand, this allows me to get in more in-depth exercise than I'd usually be able to spend time on."

"She's a real exercise fanatic," Guren said in response to Sagi's inquiring expression. "When we were younger, she had a regimen that had her active at least four days a week. Speaking of which, do you still have that home-gym equipment, sis?"

"Still making good use of it," Sumire grinned in response.

"If you don't mind me saying so, Sumire-san, you look fit, but not overly muscular," Sagi remarked.

"Oh, that's because I don't focus on only one aspect of fitness, Sagi-san," Sumire replied. "I do a bit of weight training, sure, but mostly aerobics and a lot of punishment of my punching bag."

"Boxing?" Sagi cocked his head to one side.

"More freestyle than anything else. Purely recreational, though; don't expect me to be able to kick butt in a fighting ring anytime ever." Sumire shrugged.

"Tell that to all the kids you used to beat up when they teased me back during school days," said Guren.

"Hey, when kids pick on one's kid sibling, it's the bigger sibling's responsibility to protect said kid sibling." Sumire gave Sagi a look. "Right, Sagi-san?"

Sagi rubbed the back of his head. "Eh, well…maybe my dynamic with my sister is different… _she_ was always worried about _me_ more than the other way around, when we were growing up…like I said, overprotective little sister and all."

"Hmm. Well, I suppose not everybody can follow the same script." Sumire chuckled.

Guren made to respond—and suddenly her eyes widened as she looked right past Sumire. "Ah…"

"Hmm?" Sagi looked at Guren, then in the direction where she was now staring. "Guren-san, what is it?"

Sumire, too, had noticed Guren's gaze had diverted. "Hey, Guren, something wrong?"

"…Genkei…" It was all Guren said.

Sumire automatically turned to look…and her expression hardened. "Ah."

Standing at the café door, directly behind Sumire, was a man with spiky black hair and narrow eyes. He was just then looking in their direction; a moment later he walked over to their table. "Well, well, hello. This is unexpected."

"Hello, Genkei." Guren's voice was tight.

The newcomer nodded. "It's…good to see you, Guren. And I see you're out with your sister," here he gave Sumire a brief nod, "and an associate," and he gave a nod to Sagi. "Good afternoon to both of you."

"Yes, Mr…Genkei, Guren-san said?" said Sagi, politely standing up.

"Oshiro Genkei," the man introduced himself. "And you?"

"Owashi Sagi," and Sagi gave a little bow. "And I see you already know Guren-san and Sumire-san…"

"He's my ex-husband," Guren said bluntly.

"…ah. I see." Sagi nodded, understanding, as he sat back down. "The ladies have mentioned you before."

"Have they, now?" Genkei queried.

"Yes. We've told Sagi-san about how much of a selfish, cheating, backstabbing bastard you were when you were married to Guren," Sumire said waspishly.

"Sumire, please…" Guren whispered.

"What? I'm just telling it as it is. I won't be a hypocrite," Sumire replied.

Genkei shrugged. "Well, naturally, you want to defend your sister. It's only to be expected."

Guren shook her head. "What brings you here, Genkei?"

"Business, of course," Genkei answered. "You know my job requires me to travel across the country from time to time; I'm currently on my way to meet a couple of clients here in Iwa City. I just thought I'd grab a cappuccino before I reach the venue…and as far as I'm aware, cafés and coffee shops are open for anyone and everyone to give patronage."

"Well, just buy your coffee and go. Please." Guren averted her eyes from her ex.

Genkei cocked an eyebrow. "Well, if that's what you desire, fine, I can do that. Well, let me go place my order with the cashier." And he turned and walked toward the counter.

Sumire glared daggers at Genkei's back. "All the coffee shops in this city, and he had to show up _here…"_

"Sis, please, it's all right," Guren tried to placate her. "He'll have his cappuccino, and he'll be gone in a few minutes, and we can continue enjoying our lattés." She looked at Sagi. "And…Sagi-kun…I hope he hasn't gotten to you…?"

"I think I've got thicker skin than that," said Sagi. "It's been eight years since you guys broke up, right? And you've moved on, and he's obviously been living his own life. Should I be worried?"

"Even if you cut the head off a snake, its fangs are still poisonous," Sumire muttered.

A moment later, Genkei collected a foam cup from the barista, and he turned and headed back to the trio's table even as they eyed him. "Hmm…" He took a brief sip of his cappuccino. "Well, this is good. I rate this coffee shop three-point-five stars out of five."

"Yeah, yeah, the coffee's good, and it'll get better once you leave," Sumire said darkly.

"Right, right, I'm going. I don't want to be late for that meeting anyway." Genkei nodded. "I just wanted to say something to your friend before I take my leave," and he nodded at Sagi.

"Yes…?" Sagi looked him right in the eye.

Genkei took another sip of his cappuccino. "Just a word of advice, from an older man to a younger man: if you're going to listen to stories about people who're in conflict, at least make sure you try and get _both_ sides of the story. Otherwise you'll only have an incomplete picture."

Guren looked sharply at Genkei. "Are you suggesting that I _didn't_ catch you plowing my so-called best friend in _our_ matrimonial bed?" she snarled.

"Oh, no-no-no-no-no, I'm honest enough to acknowledge that," Genkei replied. "But tell me, uh, Owashi-kun, right? Tell me…was Guren honest enough to tell you that she can't have children?"

Guren's face turned ashen at that.

"…you did not go there. Tell me that you did NOT just go there." Sumire's tone was flat, but her gaze could have set Genkei and the rest of the café on fire.

"What? I'm just telling it as it is. I won't be a hypocrite," Genkei answered, and Sumire gritted her teeth as she recognized her own words.

Sagi's brow furrowed. "No, I was not told that. Should it matter? Lots of women can't have children of their own, and that doesn't make them any less of women."

"Oh, I'm sure you can say that _now,_ but I've lived longer than you, long enough to know what life is all about. Every man wants to have a child who can carry on his name, and if his wife can't carry out her part because her plumbing doesn't work, well, a man has to do what a man has to do." Genkei took another mouthful of his drink.

"That's _**IT."**_ Sumire slowly stood up and faced Genkei, standing just three inches shorter than him but still glaring out of eyes blazing with undisguised anger. "Get out of here in five seconds before I go to jail for committing grievous bodily harm."

In an instant Guren jumped up and rushed around to post herself between Sumire and Genkei. "Sumire, stop it!" she urged, glancing around at the rest of the café. "People are starting to stare!"

"Oshiro-san."

As one, the three looked at Sagi, who was still sitting in his chair. "I appreciate that you want to advise me, from one man to another…but indulge me a minute, if Sumire-san will allow me that long," Sagi commented, before taking up his latté and sipping from it.

"Sagi-kun…" Guren blinked.

Sumire cocked an eyebrow as she looked at Sagi. Then, with visible effort, she relaxed her stance. "Make it quick, Sagi-san."

"Thank you." Sagi returned his attention to Genkei. "Now, as you said, I only have one side of the whole situation, so I want to hear a few things directly from your mouth, if you please."

"What is it?" Genkei queried.

Again Sagi sipped a bit of his latté. "You and Guren-san were married how long?"

"Six years. Why?" Genkei cocked his head slightly to one side.

"I'm just wondering…in the six years you and she were married, I assume you and she tried multiple times to have children?" Sagi continued.

"We did." Genkei's grip on his cappuccino cup tightened slightly. "Where is this line of questioning going?"

"It's going somewhere pertinent, don't worry," said Sagi. "You and Guren-san have been divorced for the past eight years. Have _you_ had any children since your marriage dissolved?"

Genkei's eyes narrowed. "What does that have to do with—"

"Yes or no, sir?" Sagi asked pointedly.

"…no. I haven't been trying for children since Guren and I split." Genkei took a swift gulp of his cappuccino. "So what?"

"So, my point is…" Sagi leaned back in his chair. "I'm going to hazard a guess and say that maybe the problem with your childless marriage had nothing to do with Guren-san…and everything to do with you."

Genkei gave the younger man an incredulous look. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"I mean, if the ability or lack thereof to have children was the issue here, instead of placing all the blame on Guren-san, you could've gotten a checkup of your own from your doctor. But based on what you admit you did, you never tried to eliminate that as a possibility, did you?" Sagi stood up. "And to make it worse, betraying her trust didn't make anything better, did it? All that resulted from it was that she lost both her husband and her friend, and she was left for the next eight years with heartache that you admit _you_ contributed to. Which basically means, Oshiro-san, that assuming the biological fault was in fact on you and not on Guren-san as you claim, then what Sumire-san said before wasn't at all accurate. You're not a selfish, cheating, backstabbing bastard…you're a selfish, cheating, backstabbing bastard with possibly weak balls that you've been too cowardly to get checked."

Now Genkei's eye was twitching _hard,_ and his grip on his cappuccino cup was so tight that, for a moment, Sagi thought the man would crush it right there. Then Genkei spoke, his voice tight. "I'm going to be late for my meeting. Excuse me." And with that, he turned and walked out of the café.

Sagi, Guren and Sumire watched as Genkei departed. Then Sumire looked at Sagi. "Sagi-san…if I wasn't already married and you weren't already with Guren, I'd kiss you right here and now."

"One doesn't need fists to strike a decisive blow, Sumire-san. Words spoken in due season do just as well." Sagi turned to Guren. "Although…"

Guren sighed. "I'm sorry I never mentioned…that. I mean, we tried for so long to have kids and never succeeded…and now, for him to have blurted it out like that…"

Sagi shook his head. "Whether you can or can't have kids, Guren-san, it doesn't matter. You're still you. You're still the woman who's given me a chance…and to whom I'm still going to give a chance. At least…if you'll let me."

Without realizing she was doing it, Guren brought a hand to her mouth as her eyes glistened. "Sagi-kun…"

Sumire shook her head and smiled. "Hey, Guren, you'd better not lose this fellow, you hear? Otherwise I'll drag you all over town by your ankle."

"Hai, hai," Guren waved her off. "Well…we still have our lattés to finish before they get cold."

"That we do." Sagi chuckled. "That we do."

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 25

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: And so we meet Guren's ex-husband Genkei. And yes, he is as every bit a jerk-ass as he's portrayed here.

In canon, Genkei was the unnamed Third Kazekage, and Sumire—who I've made Guren's older sister—had no relation to Guren whatsoever. And just in case anybody reading this has gotten confused and needs a reminder, no, Sumire is not the same Sumire from the _Boruto_ spin-off, but a very minor character from the original series.

And while I'm at it, let me just say that I will NOT be utilizing any characters from _Boruto,_ to include Boruto himself or any of the new-generation characters. The reason? I see Boruto as a snotty little brat who knows next to nothing about what his father Naruto had to endure in _his_ childhood, and indeed the _Boruto_ series itself is, to my mind, a wholly unnecessary continuation of a story that got a grand-enough sendoff with the manga's final chapter and _The Last: Naruto the Movie._ For that same reason, although I know Yagura's family name was revealed in the sequel series, I will not be using it in the _Kitsune no Ken_ universe, and in fact I will avoid making any reference to him having a surname here as much as I can.

All right, now that that's out of the way…next Gaiden coming up soon!


	26. Unfinished Business, Part 1

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 26 – Unfinished Business, Part 1**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place after the Parliament incident in the main story's final arc.)_

Sunday, September 3, 3:00 a.m., at the Konoha Town police precinct.

"Yawn…" The officer manning the evidence room covered her mouth with one hand as she expressed her mixed tiredness and boredom. "Geez, what a dull time…haven't had anything exciting happen lately…"

She checked her watch. "Well, just another few hours to go till the graveyard beat's over…but I could really do with a coffee right now. I wonder what the vending machine's got…"

Getting up from her seat, she headed for the evidence room's exit, passing several exhibits in their display cases and on their shelves. One of these, she idly noted, was a pair of whips with blades along their lengths. "Huh…these things that Utakata guy was using that time when he tried to kill Dr. Haruno…I'd almost forgotten they were still here," she mused. "Well, he's dead now, so these aren't going anywhere."

Exiting the room, she pushed the door shut behind her and headed up the staircase, down the next corridor, and around the corner to where she knew the nearest vending machine was. Fishing her wallet out of her pocket, she took out several coins and then perused the machine's food and drink offerings. "Oooh, lovely, they've got toffee-nut flavored coffee…come to Mama," she grinned as she entered the requisite amount of money and pushed the designated button.

In a few minutes she was sipping giddily from the bottle of flavored coffee as she headed back down to the evidence room, opened its door and walked in, glanced at the empty space where the whips had been, made a beeline for her chair—

…waaaaaaaaaiiiiiiit a minute.

She did a swift about-face and looked at the display case again—looked at her coffee and then at the display case again to make sure she wasn't imagining things—the case was still empty.

"Oh, hell, no."

 **OoOoO**

4:30 a.m.

"So let me get this straight," acting chief of police Morino Ibiki said in a _far_ too calm voice that didn't match with the smoldering look he was giving the officer. "You left the evidence room to get a coffee, and when you came back, the whips were gone. Have I got that right?"

The officer wanted to say she'd only been gone for a minute—and it would have been true, she _had_ been gone roughly a minute and no longer than that—but the volcanic rage she could clearly see building up in the face of Chief Inuzuka's temporary replacement, a man she already knew to have an extremely intimidating aura even despite his having only just gotten out of the hospital following his shooting a few months prior, made her check that impulse. "Yes, sir," she said simply, keeping her gaze down.

"Did you see anybody suspicious hanging around the area, between the time you left the room and the time you got back?" Ibiki was in full detective mode.

"No sir, nothing unusual," the officer answered.

"Hmm." Ibiki looked past the officer, where a CSI was carefully dusting the door handle and another further inside was dusting the whips' display case. "All right, go topside. The CSIs will let you know when you can come back down."

"Yes, sir." The officer nodded once and then swiftly took her leave from Ibiki's vicinity.

Ibiki took a step toward the first CSI at the door. "Find anything?"

"Well, I've managed to get a couple of usable prints off the handle—I'll let you know in an hour if they belong to anybody other than personnel," the man replied.

"Good." Ibiki turned to look at the other CSI. "How about you, anything usable from the display case?"

"Well, the glass on the case was smashed, but no sign of blood so far," the second CSI reported. "I'll have to take the glass shards and check for prints or any DNA…that'll take at least two or so hours to do."

"Hmph. Well, we'll have to make do with what we have." Ibiki nodded. "Keep it up and keep me informed. As soon as you can make any headway, we need to know."

"Right!" the two CSIs replied.

Another bit of movement caught Ibiki's eye, and he turned to see another police officer further inside the evidence room with a clipboard in hand. "Oi, done the inventory?" he called.

"Just about," the cop answered. "Based on the last time inventory was done prior to today, the only things unaccounted for are those whips—nothing else is missing."

Ibiki's eyes narrowed. "I want a review of all the precinct's security footage up to the time the whips disappeared. They did not just grow legs and walk out of here by themselves, that much I'm sure of."

"Got it!" the cop nodded.

 **OoOoO**

6:00 a.m. _Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock!_

"Grr…who is it at this hour on a weekend?" Naruto groaned, yanking his pillow out from under his head and covering his head with it instead. "Geez, go away…"

 _Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock!_ "Uzumaki! Open up! We've got a situation!"

"Ugh…I know that voice," the disgruntled Naruto groused, pulling himself out of bed and shuffling downstairs to the front door where the _knock-knock-knock-knock-knock_ was intensifying. "Yeah, yeah, what is it, Ibiki?" he asked with a scowl as he opened the door to face the burly cop.

"You'd better wake up fast, boy," Ibiki growled at him. "The whips your buddy Saiken the Slug tried to use to kill Dr. Haruno—they've gone missing from our evidence room."

What remained of Naruto's sleepiness promptly vanished. "You guys got broken into? Gee, you need to beef up your security."

"And that'll be dealt with post-haste," said Ibiki.

"Uh-huh…so I assume you've got a lead as to who's responsible?" asked Naruto.

"Our forensics guys are working on it now," said Ibiki. "What I find curious, however, is the fact that as far as we know, those whips were the only things stolen—nothing else from the evidence room is missing."

"Well, you had a reason for coming straight to me…what do you want me to do?" Naruto queried.

"For now, just sit tight until we get more concrete evidence of what's going on," said Ibiki. "Until I get more information to suggest something bigger, I'll be treating this case as exactly what it is—a breach of our station's security parameters. We've already had too many of those in the last few months, between Akatsuki and LOVE, and I'm not standing for any more of these."

"All right, well, do what you gotta do. I'll be here," said Naruto.

Ibiki nodded. "Good." Then he turned on his heel and stalked back to his car.

Naruto watched for a moment as Ibiki drove off…then he became conscious of a familiar presence behind him. "Oi, Naruto, what was Detective Morino doing here so early?" Kushina complained, running a hand through her already-messy hair. "Doesn't he know people like to sleep in on Sundays?"

"Somebody broke into the precinct," Naruto informed her.

"Again? That's, what, the third breach this year or something?" Kushina scowled.

"The evidence room was broken into, and the thief took the whips that Utakata—Saiken the Slug—used when I met him earlier this year," said Naruto. "But from what Ibiki said, they took _only_ the whips, nothing else."

Kushina frowned. "Meaning…?"

"Meaning, whoever our thief is, they knew what they were looking for and they had a reason to go specifically for the whips." Naruto cast a contemplative glance outside. "The question is, who and why?"

 **OoOoO**

"Who and why, indeed." Yugito's face was humorless. "Any theories?"

She and Naruto were sitting together at a table in the Samsara Hotel's open-air dining space, she with a plate bearing two sandwiches and he with a plate of hot dogs. "Well, so far I've eliminated the obvious suspect, since Utakata's dead," Naruto replied, taking up one hot dog and biting into it. "The only other person I can think of would be Kira or one of his agents—he used Utakata in his revenge plot, and Utakata's whips would be very handy evidence against him once his case goes to trial, right?"

"In the sense that we could tie the material used to make Utakata's whips with any of the material used to make the weaponry he was supplying to Akatsuki, then yes, that would be reasonable to assume," said Yugito. "From what you've told me, though, it's still too early to say. We'll have to wait until they go through their security footage and try to identify the perpetrator."

"Yeah, I assume Ibiki will be making this a top-priority matter," said Naruto. "So until we hear anything more…I'll be enjoying more of these hot dogs!" he capped off with a grin.

"On _my_ dime, boy," Yugito replied good-naturedly.

 **OoOoO**

9:00 a.m., back at the precinct, where Ibiki was currently sitting at the chief's desk which Tsume had recently vacated. "I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this…can't wait till the boss-lady comes back from her suspension," he muttered.

There was a sudden _rap-rap-rap_ at the door. "Come!" he barked.

In came one of the CSIs a moment later. "Detective—ah, I mean, chief!" she started. "Uh, sorry, I…"

"Don't stress—I'm still getting used to being in the chair myself, even if it's only temporarily," Ibiki waved her concern off. "You have something for me?"

"Yeah." The CSI was all-business in an instant. "We got something off the security cameras. But, ah…you're gonna want to come take a look at this."

Cocking an eyebrow, Ibiki got up and followed the CSI out of the office. "What? Somebody we know?"

"Somebody we _knew._ Do you believe the dead can walk?" the CSI asked, looking back at him briefly.

"No." Ibiki considered what she'd just said. "I hope you're not implying what I think you're implying."

"Don't take my word for it. You'll soon see for yourself," said the CSI.

A few minutes' more walking soon brought them to the in-house forensic lab and to the woman's desk, where video footage was already up on the screen and currently on pause. "I spent the last two hours going through the precinct's security footage, starting from an hour before the theft in the evidence room," she explained.

"And?" Ibiki asked.

"Nothing unusual for the first fifty-seven minutes…" The CSI started the footage and pointed at the screen. "But take a look right here. This is on the main floor, right in the squad room…"

Ibiki looked at the footage. "Hmm…three cops carrying in suspects in handcuffs…two more cops coming in after them, by themselves…what about it?"

"Those latter two cops—pay attention to the one on the right," the woman instructed him. "Okay, he's milling about the squad room for a moment…then he goes into the next corridor…then the footage here," she moved the mouse and clicked its button a few times, bringing up a separate video shot, "shows him coming out of the squad room, into the hallway, and heading for the stairs to go down to the evidence room. Notice anything about him yet?"

Ibiki leaned in closer and eyeballed the screen. "He's wearing the standard police cap with the uniform…it's tilted down slightly so the brim hides his face a bit…"

"Then there's this." Again the CSI clicked the mouse, showing different footage. "This is right outside the evidence room. Our visitor's coming along—there, see, he looks back and forth, likely noting that he's alone…then he goes right into the evidence room."

"His back's to the camera. That shows us…that he's got dark brown hair. And from this angle we can see his body structure better; he's a thin guy, maybe 130 pounds or so." Ibiki scowled. "But that's not nearly enough for a solid description. That matches a whole lot of guys in this country."

"Oh, but it gets better." Again the CSI clicked the mouse, this time bringing up a video-image showing the evidence room. "Now, here's where he comes in…looks around, checks if anybody is in the vicinity…then…"

The video footage then showed the intruder taking a piece of cloth out of his pocket, wrapping it around one hand, and smashing the display case containing the whips with one blow. "He breaks into the case," Ibiki summarized what he was seeing. "And…"

"And at the point he turns to leave, we get a good-enough angle of his face even with the cap's brim in the way," said the CSI, pausing the video at just that point. "I already isolated this particular still-image from the video, and our facial recognition software is working right now to give us a more concrete ID, but on the surface…does that face look familiar?"

Ibiki gave the image a closer look. "…you have got to be kidding me."

"Like I asked you before…" The CSI gave him a look. "Do you believe the dead can walk?"

 **OoOoO**

Fifteen minutes later found Ibiki at the coroner's office, heading down the walkway with the head coroner. "Thanks for letting me in on such short notice," Ibiki addressed the other man.

"Not a problem," the coroner replied. "You said you wanted to check on _that_ individual's body, yes?"

"I have to be sure," said Ibiki. "I know we processed him and did all we were supposed to do when we arrested him…I was hoping your office was able to do its part after he was killed."

"Unfortunately, it's not as cut-and-dry as that," the coroner said gravely. "The police procedurals on TV make people think that we start working on bodies as soon as they come in, but the truth is that we have to work according to the urgency attached to each case. In this instance, the guy was high-priority only due to his notoriety at first, plus the fact that he was targeting Dr. Haruno at the hospital, but then we had those cases of the Akatsuki member and those punks from Mizuki's gang who got killed by that government agent Nii Yugito, and then there was a case of another Akatsuki member who got killed at that report Nohara Rin's house, with all the attacks on your precinct and the various dead cops coming in, plus the issue with that fake body that Yamato Tenzou used to fake his death, and then all those LOVE agents that got killed trying to assault Konoha Town…with all of those one after another, a lot of our other cases had to be bumped down the list, and that included the work that still needed to be done with this particular body. That's at least _months_ of work I'm talking about that had to take priority; it's a miracle we were able to categorize the most urgent cases out of all of those."

"Regretful…but I guess it can't really be helped," Ibiki sighed. "Were you able to make _any_ kind of progress on this one, though?"

They went through a door into the storage area and headed inside. "Well, cause of death was obvious—decapitation—so we didn't bother to go too in-depth on that," the coroner replied, stopping at one of the freezer-drawers built into the wall. "All right, here's his place…hope you've got a strong enough stomach."

"You're preaching to the converted, here," Ibiki replied.

Nodding, the coroner pulled the drawer open…and there lay the body of the deceased, with the detached head carefully placed where it would have normally been connected to the torso. Ibiki stared at the corpse for a long moment. "Utakata," he murmured.

"Anything specific you need to know about him?" asked the coroner.

"Everything you didn't get to do with the body, you do now and as fast as possible," said Ibiki. "Toxicology, blood work, the whole nine yards. We should already have fingerprint and blood samples from the hospital after he was arrested—everything needs to match up."

The coroner gave him a knowing look. "You want to avoid a repeat of Yamato Tenzou's case."

"Trust me, if I've learned anything over the last half-year, it's that we should never take _anything_ for granted," said Ibiki. "Now, how soon do you think you can have an answer for me?"

"Well, I'll need all those samples that were taken from Utakata when he was at the hospital, for comparison and all, you understand," said the coroner. "Normally, these things take at least a day or two as long as nothing else comes up to interrupt the work, but all told, I should have at least a preliminary response by, say, tonight? If you're satisfied with bare-bones results, that is."

"At this point, I'll take what I can get," Ibiki answered. "I'll get a hold of Dr. Haruno—hopefully with his expertise, we can speed this up somewhat."

 **OoOoO**

"Pardon? You want me to assist the coroner in examining Utakata's body?" Dr. Haruno's eyebrows rose.

"I realize this must be a bizarre request, but given what's happened lately, I can't afford to make any assumptions," said Ibiki. "The coroner never got to do a full examination because of all the nuttiness that's happened in the last few months, doing autopsies of cops killed when the Hawks gang attacked the precinct, and then the autopsies of the Spiral Reaper's victims, and everything that happened with Akatsuki and LOVE…the completion of Utakata's examination got pushed further and further back, especially since the main issue with his being around was resolved after you were protected from his murder attempt."

"And now you're saying someone broke into the precinct and stole Utakata's whips, and it was someone that strongly resembles him…" Dr. Haruno looked troubled. "You know, if I hadn't already gotten firsthand experience with people not being as dead as initially assumed, I'd think you were insane. As it stands…"

"At least let's make sure that the body on the morgue's slab really is Utakata, for both our peace of mind," said Ibiki. "All being well, this mystery thief will simply be a guy with a really startling physical resemblance to Utakata and nothing else."

"Indeed," Dr. Haruno said dryly. "But if you're going to be this cautious, then might I make a suggestion of my own, detective?"

"What is it?" Ibiki asked.

Dr. Haruno looked him straight in the eye. "I want Naruto and Yugito to be kept in the loop about this. If the worst-case scenario proves to be reality, I believe they'll be the best ones to address the situation."

Ibiki nodded. "Fair enough."

 **OoOoO**

11:00 a.m. found Ibiki sitting in the lobby of the Samsara Hotel, waiting patiently…and his patience was rewarded momentarily, as he spied Yugito emerging from the elevator and walking in his direction. "Howdy," he greeted her, standing up. "Thanks for seeing me."

"Right," said Yugito. "Let's get right to it, then. Naruto came to see me this morning…I take it you're here for the same reason as he?"

"Yeah…there's a suspicion that your friend Utakata might not be as dead as we thought," Ibiki replied.

Yugito's brow furrowed. "First of all, detective, while Utakata might have been a Kyuushingai along with the rest of us, he was no 'friend' of ours by any definition of the word. Second, going off what Naruto said you told him earlier today, how exactly would one be able to fake one's death when one's head was chopped off by a sword-wielding killer with a grudge?"

"We're hoping that that might not be the case, but…you _do_ know about the Spiral Reaper case, right? The one where Konoha High's vice-principal faked his own death with a fake corpse so he could carry out a series of attacks without drawing suspicion to himself?" Ibiki replied.

"I doubt that Akatsuki or Kira would have helped Utakata to fake his death for any reason," said Yugito.

"You and me both, but after everything that's happened, I'd rather have all bases covered as a precaution," said Ibiki. "You should know what that's like, too, right…?"

"Yeah…yeah, I know." Yugito nodded.

"Dr. Haruno's at the coroner's office helping them to examine the body now," Ibiki told her. "Hopefully, with his expertise on hand, they'll be able to speed up the preliminary results by a few hours. In the meantime, he wants you and Uzumaki to be kept up-to-date on what's happening."

"Anything we can do while we wait?" asked Yugito.

Ibiki thought for a moment. "Utakata targeted doctors and their families. Maybe you guys could keep an eye on the Haruno family while we sort this out on our end, just to be safe."

"I'll get Naruto on that, then." Yugito pulled out her phone, speed-dialed a number, and brought the device to her ear. "All right, kiddo, pick up…yeah, Naruto? I'm here talking with Detective Morino at the moment…listen, I wonder if you could do us a favor…"

 **OoOoO**

"Eh? Have we cooked our Sunday dinner yet?" Sakura cocked an eyebrow at the scar-faced blond on her front porch. "No, Mom hasn't started on that yet…why?"

"Perfect!" Naruto clapped his hands together with a grin on his face. "In that case, why don't you and your mom come over to our house for dinner today?"

Sakura put a hand on her hip and gave Naruto a look. "What's the catch?"

"No catch," Naruto said innocently. "Mom's just been looking for an excuse to try this new lasagna recipe she's been brainstorming for some time now, and she's heard from Ino about how great a cook your mom is, and she was hoping maybe the two of them could work on it together and maybe brainstorm some new meal ideas while they're at it."

"Hmm…" Sakura frowned at that.

"Oh? An invitation for dinner, is it?" Mrs. Haruno called from further inside the house; then a moment later she was approaching the front door. "And your mother wants to bounce a few recipe ideas off me, you said? Well, Sakura _has_ mentioned how Kushina-san is a cooking genius when she's not ordering out…"

"Then you'll come on over?" Naruto said expectantly.

"Ha! How can I say no to that? I'll be glad to not be the sole cook at least for today!" Mrs. Haruno grinned. "What time should we come, then?"

"Actually, how about right now? Mom wants to get an early start, and if two good cooks are there, then it'll be done quicker, right?" said Naruto. "Plus, I think she said something about wanting to share a few lessons with Sakura like she's done with Hinata…"

"Uh, well, actually—" Sakura began.

"Now, now, Sakura, let's not try to weasel out of this," and Mrs. Haruno clapped a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I haven't had a chance to compare my cooking skills with that of another culinary veteran in a while, and I do think that while you can handle yourself well enough in the kitchen, there's always something new for you to learn. So go wash up, and we'll go."

"…fine…" Sakura rolled her eyes and gave the ceiling a longsuffering look as she went back inside.

"Just give us ten minutes, would you, Naruto-kun? Come on in and take a load off in the meantime," Mrs. Haruno invited him.

"Thanks! Don't mind if I do!" Naruto grinned.

 **OoOoO**

3:00 p.m. that afternoon saw Dr. Haruno in the coroner's office, both of them poring over several notes and image-charts, studious expressions on their faces.

 **OoOoO**

"Oi!" The CSI who'd shown Ibiki the video footage earlier was back at his office doorway, a look of urgency on her face. "The facial recognition software just finished its check of the perp's face from the security footage."

Ibiki looked at her. "So we have an ID, then?"

"Got the result right here—it's an 87 percent match, which for our current situation is more than enough," the technician replied, and she plopped a paper onto Ibiki's desk.

Ibiki picked up the result and looked at it…looked for a full minute…then he looked at the CSI. "I need to go back to the coroner, _now."_

 **OoOoO**

"This is…unsettling…" Dr. Haruno shook his head as he looked at the information chart in his hands.

"As if things couldn't get _any_ weirder in this town," the coroner groaned, leaning back in his office chair.

Just then there was a knock at the door, and a second later Ibiki rushed in. "Your assistant let me in," he announced by way of explanation. "I've got news from our end."

"As have we," the coroner reported.

Ibiki looked from one to the other of the two men. "…I take it our head-severed corpse isn't Utakata?"

Dr. Haruno pinched his nose-bridge between his thumb and forefinger. "As you know, detective, I was the lead doctor in charge of _their_ physical health prior to the 365 days," he said quietly. "I was and still am acquainted with their respective physiological structures. When I saw that body on that slab today, I knew in an instant that that body was at least fifteen pounds too heavy to be him. We simply continued going through the rest of the biological information the hospital had collected, just to fully cover the bases."

"He could've put on weight in the years since you last saw him," Ibiki suggested—though his tone sounded noticeably desperate.

"That wasn't the only discrepancy I noticed, detective," Dr. Haruno said in a deadpan tone. "Utakata's hands would've had significant calluses from his constant wielding of his whips over the years—and you well know that he killed numerous people over the past two years, besides those that died in the 365 days. This person's hands…callus-free. And Utakata's eyes are a light hazel color, and he's never worn colored contacts…the eyes on the head of that corpse are too dark a shade of brown."

Ibiki's shoulders sagged, very slightly, but enough to still be noticed by the other two men even as he held up the results he was carrying. "Then…that only reinforces what our in-house CSIs at the precinct just found out…our facial recognition software gave a positive match between his face and the face of the thief who took his whips from our evidence room."

"And if forensic evidence doesn't lie…" the coroner began.

Dr. Haruno gave Ibiki a hard look. "Would you mind informing them?"

"Already on it." Ibiki pulled out his phone.

 **OoOoO**

3:40 p.m. saw the Uzumaki kitchen being very busy.

"No, no, no! That's too much cheese!" Mrs. Haruno scolded Sakura as they worked over a baking pan.

"Ha! Nonsense! There is _never_ such a thing as 'too much cheese'!" Kushina, standing to one side, scoffed.

Waterfalls were comically gushing out of Sakura's eyes. "Mooooooom, Kushina-saaaaaaan, you're confusing me!" she cried.

"It's my kitchen, so I take precedence as the lead chef," Kushina declared.

"Well, _I'm_ her mother, so on that basis _I_ should get the preference!" Mrs. Haruno snapped.

Watching everything from the kitchen doorway, Naruto shrugged. "What's that saying about too many cooks spoiling the broth?"

"SCREW YOU, NARUTO!" Sakura screamed, fangs in her mouth.

"Language, young miss," Mrs. Haruno scolded her with a light slap on the shoulder.

Just then there was a knock at the front door. "I'll get it," Naruto spoke up, hurrying out to the door and opening it. "And here we have…uh…"

Yugito was standing there, and her expression was grim. "Naruto." It was all she said.

He read her face. "…it's bad, isn't it." It wasn't a question.

"It's bad." Yugito's jaw tightened.

 **OoOoO**

On a hill overlooking Konoha Town, there stood a tall, thin figure in a bright blue trench-coat, with a black shirt and pants underneath it. Two whips with numerous tiny blades on their lengths, both currently curled up, were attached to his belt and hidden just out of sight beneath his coat. If one were to examine him closely, one would see the very tip of what appeared to be a scar on his chest just near the collarbone, though that was mostly covered by his shirt and the collar of his coat. For one brief moment he reached up a hand to touch the scar—but then he appeared to catch himself, and he brought his hand back down to his side instead, even as he gazed upon the community below his location.

"Unfinished business…" Utakata whispered to himself.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 26

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: An enemy thought dead returns from the shadows…

Okay, okay, I know there are going to be questions from those who remember quite vividly that Utakata was supposed to have gotten his head cut off in the main story, but I promise—there is going to be an explanation that both makes sense AND that won't contradict or retcon anything that was previously established. And in case anyone wants to know why I am bringing Utakata back…well, I just feel like expanding and establishing Naruto's rogues' gallery in this story's universe, and the Gaiden chapters are all about facilitating that, in addition to providing info that wasn't in the main story proper.

Anyway…more Gaiden chapters to come!


	27. Unfinished Business, Part 2

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 27 – Unfinished Business, Part 2**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place immediately after Gaiden 25.)_

"…it's bad, isn't it."

"It's bad."

"Eh? Is that Yugito-san out there?"

Yugito straightened up as she saw Sakura emerging from the kitchen doorway and into the hall behind Naruto. "Oh, yeah, I _thought_ I heard you out here," the pink-haired girl remarked.

"Oi, oi, who said you were done?" Mrs. Haruno demanded from inside the kitchen—seconds before reaching out through the doorway and grabbing Sakura by her arm. "Get back in here and finish your meal preparation, little miss!"

"Heeeeeeeelp!" Sakura squealed as she was yanked back into the kitchen.

Yugito cocked an eyebrow. "Should I ask?"

"Mom and Sakura's mom are drilling cooking lessons into her," Naruto replied. "In any case…" His tone went low and serious again. "Utakata's alive. What now?"

"Now I'm going to make sure I stick to Dr. Haruno in case Utakata tries to attack him at any point," said Yugito. "Meanwhile, you stay with the Haruno ladies in case he thinks to attack _them._ At least with you and Kushina-san here with them, they'll be protected."

Naruto cast a glance over his shoulder at the kitchen entrance before looking back at Yugito. "They'll have to know what's going on. They've suffered enough already from having secrets kept from them."

"I won't argue against that," Yugito nodded in agreement. "But try not to get them _too_ alarmed."

"Okay." Naruto nodded back.

 **OoOoO**

A little while later, Yugito was walking along the roadside in the direction of the town square, her eyes shifting from side to side and missing nothing in her field of vision. Everything seemed as kosher as could be expected for a Sunday afternoon—a few families in their yards, the occasional kid or two biking on the sidewalk, dog-walkers with their pets—but experience had taught her that even in times of apparent peace, one's senses must still remain on full alert for danger. And with the likes of Utakata being not quite dead and very much on the loose…

"Yugito-san!"

The familiar voice just ahead of her broke her out of her train of thought. "Eh? Ah…Hinata!"

True enough, it was the gray-eyed Hyuga heiress, clad in running tights with a jacket covering her top and high-top sneakers, and her hair was tied back in a ponytail. "Are you well? You seemed a bit distracted just now," she remarked.

"Did I?" Yugito couldn't help but smile a little at the younger woman's concern. "Don't worry, it's all good…were you looking for me, by any chance?"

"I passed by the Samsara Hotel a short while ago, but the front desk said you were out," said Hinata. "So I figured maybe you were doing some of your, ahem, official work again."

"…all right, I'll cop to it. I am a bit on the clock just now," Yugito admitted. "From the way you're dressed, I guess you were coming to me for more training…but I'll have to take a rain check on that. I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Hinata assured her. "Being dressed this way lets me get in some training on my own, anyway—by jogging. Cardiovascular fitness is always good no matter what the intended purpose of the exercise, right?"

"Bright girl," and Yugito nodded in approval. "Am I to assume that you'll be conveniently jogging past Naruto's house?" and she just couldn't resist the smirk that crept onto her mouth.

Hinata felt her cheeks flush a little, but she managed to hold onto her composure. "Should I?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind it normally, but…" Yugito put one hand on her hip. "Number one, Naruto's having company at his house right now—Sakura and Mrs. Haruno are visiting with him and Kushina-san. And number two, it's currently a delicate matter they're dealing with. And yes, it has to do with what I'm presently working on."

"I see…confidential, then," Hinata surmised.

Yugito regarded her. "Well, not so confidential that I can't share," she acquiesced. "In a nutshell…" The big-sister vibe lessened, and the aura of the government agent shone through. "Remember when we first met at your family's party, and I told Naruto about the death of one of our own—Saiken the Slug?"

"The one whose head got cut off in an abandoned warehouse," Hinata recalled. "What about it? Has something new come out of that matter?"

"Yes." Yugito nodded grimly. "Turns out the person we thought was him, it was someone else."

Hinata frowned at that. "He's alive?"

"Yes. He also broke into the precinct's evidence room before dawn this morning and stole his signature whips that they'd had in storage." Yugito glanced to one side. "He was targeting Dr. Haruno the last time around, so I would consider it very prudent to assume he's still around somewhere close by, if not in town itself. I'm on my way to where Dr. Haruno is right now to keep him safe; meanwhile, Sakura and her mother will be having dinner with Naruto and Kushina-san, and those two will keep them protected in case they get targeted as well."

"I see." Hinata nodded in understanding. "Then I shouldn't get in your way, as it is."

"Don't worry about it," Yugito assured her. "Just be on your guard, like we'll have to do."

"Right, then," said Hinata. "Well, I need to jog on home, anyway. I promised Father and the family that I'd return before dinner."

"Then you'd better not disappoint." Yugito's warm smile came back. "Run along, little mouse."

 **OoOoO**

"I see…so that's the situation, then…" Sakura's eyes were narrowed as she took in what she'd just heard. "That's why Yugito-san was here earlier."

"Yeah." Naruto nodded solemnly.

The two teens were in the kitchen, Sakura still working on the lasagna alongside her mother and Kushina; but now their movements were more subdued, in light of the information Naruto had just shared with them. "That's so terrible…to think the man who was targeting Kizashi is still alive…" Mrs. Haruno sighed heavily as she scraped a dish of chopped onions into the baking pan. "How'd the police manage to misidentify the person's body, though?"

"I wouldn't blame them too much. A lot has been happening in Konoha Town that would've resulted in the police and the coroner's office getting backlogged," said Kushina. "Plus, if someone was attempting to kill one of the city's prominent residents, only to wind up dead himself shortly after, something tells me the authorities wouldn't be _too_ quick to investigate that kind of case after that fact."

Sakura glanced at Naruto. "That's why you brought me and Mom here, too, isn't it? You wanted to have us in a place where you could keep your eyes on us in case that Utakata guy should show up…"

"That was part of it, yeah," Naruto acknowledged. "But what I told you at your place is also true—now Mom and Mrs. Haruno have batted cooking techniques back and forth!"

Mrs. Haruno sniffed once. "Where _that's_ concerned, I still say too much cheese was used in this lasagna."

"Honestly! When, in the history of Italian cuisine, has anyone EVER complained about too much cheese in a pasta dish?" Kushina demanded.

Now Sakura gave Naruto a flat look. "If they turn this kitchen into a battlefield, it'll be totally your fault."

Naruto returned the flat look. "On what grounds?"

"It's your house, Kushina-san's your mother, and she passed on some of her genes to you," said Sakura.

"…as much as I wish I could refute the statement…" Naruto hung his head.

 **OoOoO**

Hinata jogged along the sidewalk, occasionally crossing the road at each designated intersection and watching for traffic as she did so, all while making the trek back toward the hill where the Hyuga mansion awaited at its top. Part of her projected route was on a beaten path that went through a lightly wooded area just across the road from her home; now she crossed an intersection and, arriving onto the sidewalk a moment later, stepped onto this beaten path and began to jog leisurely past the trees. But while her legs kept her going at a comfortable pace, her mind was racing far faster.

 _An enemy of Naruto-kun's is back…and a Kyuushingai, at that…will Naruto-kun be okay…?_

 **OoOoO**

Unbeknownst to Hinata at that moment, a certain wanted individual was passing through that very same forested area, his heavy boots crinkling the grass as he trod along…then he quickly slid behind a tree on hearing the approaching jogging steps, peeking out only seconds later to see if he'd been spotted. And as he looked out, he could see that the jogger hadn't caught a hint of him, since she wasn't looking his way but was instead making to head past his hiding place.

 _That girl…_

Utakata's mind worked quickly. Hyuga Hinata—yes, that was her, all right; he'd kept abreast of the gossip tabloids and the truly factual newscasts often enough to know what she looked like. And several of those gossip tabloids had linked her often enough to two certain other Kyuushingai that he was confident they must definitely have real connections.

His hands went to his sides, touching his whips.

 **OoOoO**

A slight movement off to Hinata's right caught the corner of her eye. She came to a dead halt right there, spun to face that direction—and from behind a tree a few yards away, she saw a figure emerge and swing something toward her. Automatically she ducked and rolled out of the way, pulling herself into a crouch seconds later, only to jump several steps back to get more distance between herself and her assailant.

"Impressive, little lady. If you hadn't dodged, you'd be missing at least a chunk of your neck right now."

As his words caught her ears, Hinata steadied herself and took a better look at the speaker—dark brown hair, blue trench-coat, and in both hands he was holding… "Whips," she spoke aloud. "The Kyuushingai's Saiken the Slug, real name Utakata, I presume?"

Honest surprise came over his face. "You know my name?"

"I heard about you from Naruto-kun and Yugito-san," Hinata supplied. "But you're supposed to be dead."

"Reports of my death were greatly exaggerated," Utakata answered. "But evidently the media reports about you being able to hold your own against Yagura the Mist City Butcher were not unfounded. You're definitely not quite the pampered rich girl I expected, Hyuga Hinata."

"That's why you attacked me? To test me?" Hinata demanded.

"That, and because I needed to make sure I haven't gotten rusty as far as whip-wielding is concerned," Utakata answered with a small shrug. "After all, recovering over several months from injuries sustained in a fight with another Kyuushingai makes you lose your edge unless you play catch-up. And besides…" He held up one of his whips. "I vowed that I'd take my pound of flesh out of every one of Naruto's loved ones, to pay him back for defeating me…"

Hinata shifted into a defensive stance. "I won't let you kill me just like that."

"Oh? You think you stand a chance against me?" Utakata asked with a smirk on his face. "Don't let your encounter with Yagura get to your head, girly. _He_ has always been an arrogant hothead who likes to show off, whereas _I_ do what needs to be done when it needs to be done."

Hinata's brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed. "I'm not so self-absorbed as to think I'd last long against someone with Yagura's reputation…and you're one of the Nine Terrors, too, so my chances against you would be slim at best. But even if that's the case…I won't go down quietly. I've trained with Yugito to make sure of that."

Utakata gave her a long look. "Yugito trained you, huh…I guess that explains how you managed to survive Yagura. Arrogant as he is, he's still vicious enough that he'd have slaughtered you in an instant unless you could fight him at least on his level. Although…" His lips contorted into a teeth-filled grin. "Even with Yugito giving you a few lessons, your chances against _me_ are less than slim—they're nonexistent."

"And if you kill me, what's to stop Naruto-kun _and_ Yugito-san from turning this whole country upside down to find and kill you?" Hinata countered.

"…I'll concede this much—I may a psychopath, but I'm not stupid enough to risk those two teaming up to take me down," said Utakata. "One at a time, maybe. Both together? Nope. I happen to appreciate living these days, thanks. Still…just knowing that you had an encounter with me will at least keep Naruto on edge. After all, he won't be able to predict which of his friends I'll mark for death, or when."

"Akatsuki marked _you_ for death. How'd you manage to keep your head on your shoulders?" asked Hinata.

"Hmm…about that…" Utakata sent a glance skyward. "What's the term for it—a deus ex machina?"

 **OoOoO**

 _The cat-eyed man unbuttoned his coat and reached inside it—and pulled out a katana. "You and your Kyuushingai brethren brought darkness to this country. But we will restore the light that you stole from the people." His voice was humorless as he raised the blade. "Be the first to feel the vengeance of Akatsuki."_

 _Utakata's eyes widened—seconds before the blade descended heavily on his neck._

 _SHUK!_

… _although his head didn't get lopped off as had been intended, for in that split-second someone had grabbed the sword-wielder's wrists and yanked them downward and at an angle, with the result being that while the tip of the sword did in fact slice the lower section of Utakata's neck, the majority of the blade's weight crashed more onto his collarbone. Still… "GAH!" Utakata couldn't help the howl that burst from his throat as blood flashed up from where he'd been cut._

 _For his part, the cat-eyed swordsman looked equal parts surprised and outraged. "What're you doing?" he demanded. "Don't get in the way!"_

 _Through the throbbing pain of his slash-wound, Utakata managed to shift his gaze to the newcomer, a burly-looking figure in a black suit-and-tie with what appeared to be a SWAT helmet over his head. "Don't pass your place, mercenary," this figure spoke up in a gravelly voice. "Our authority is higher than yours."_

" _Bastard, I will END you!" the swordsman yelled. "Akatsuki's vengeance will not be stopped!"_

 _ **Click-click-click.**_

 _Utakata reflexively squeezed his eyes shut for the pain of his freshly-throbbing wound, but he could still hear three guns being cocked. "Unfortunately, you are the only Akatsuki member here," the masked man said coolly. "And we outnumber and outgun you. Don't press your luck."_

" _Damn you…!" the swordsman hissed._

" _What're you getting so worked up about?" the masked man asked. "With this kind of wound you've inflicted on this man—"_

" _Only because you interfered!" the swordsman snarled at him._

"… _and without immediate medical attention, he'll die of blood loss anyway," the masked man went on as though the swordsman hadn't spoken. "Akatsuki's goal is the death of the Kyuushingai, yes? Well, here's one dying of blood loss from a wound your sword inflicted. That should be more than enough for you."_

" _And why the hell do you care HOW we kill these bastards?" the swordsman demanded._

" _Because we're the ones who'll have to do the clean-up after you do your dirty business, including making sure you don't somehow screw up and leave anything behind that could connect your group to our mutual employer," said the masked man. "Who do you think was always responsible for making sure there'd be no links between our boss and you murder-junkies in the last two years when your little club was being formed and outfitted? Our boss gives you your marching orders, you carry them out, and in between that, we're the ones who make sure that the boss's hands stay clean and you don't make too much of a mess."_

 _Utakata's strength was slipping…his breathing becoming more labored…the voices were sounding more and more distant…_

" _We'll get rid of this guy cleanly and quietly," the masked man—his whole frame was looking blurrier from Utakata's perspective now, likely due to the blood loss, his still-conscious mind reasoned—was saying. "You just go back to your playmates and let them know you've put your sword to this man like you were advised to do. As far as anyone needs to know, and as far as your own sword will testify, you did in fact slash him and put him right at death's door. You get a step further in your revenge, we have less of a mess to clean up, our boss is satisfied all around."_

 _Silence reigned for a moment. Then, slowly, the swordsman backed off, flashed his blade to one side to rid it of the blood that was still dripping from it, and then took out a cloth and wiped off the remaining blood traces from the sword's edge. "Don't think I'll forget about this," he growled as he re-sheathed the sword before turning and stalking out of the warehouse, his footsteps echoing as he left._

"… _bloodthirsty psycho," the masked man muttered. "Well, guys, now that he's gone, what say we deal with this outstanding issue here…"_

 _That was the last coherent thing Utakata heard before his continuing blood loss forced him into darkness._

 **OoOoO**

" _Mmm…mmm…ooohhh…"_

" _Ah, you're coming around. Welcome back."_

" _H-huh…? Who…?"_

 _Utakata's eyes slowly fluttered open. His breathing was not as shallow as before, though his collarbone hurt like hell. "Where…where am I…?"_

" _You're in an underground bunker. It's the only place we can safely keep you without those Akatsuki idiots getting suspicious and storming the place to finish what they started."_

 _The voice was coming from directly to his right; he looked that way and saw the same masked man he'd seen before, along with three other similarly-dressed individuals standing close by. "You…you saved me…but why did you…"_

" _Don't get the wrong idea, sir," the leader of the group said bluntly. "Our saving you from that swordsman has nothing to do with any respect for you—we're well aware of how many people you've killed in the past two years since the end of the 365 days. This is more to spite the man who ordered your death."_

" _The man who ordered my death…the man behind this Akatsuki group…" Utakata licked his lips; he felt really thirsty all of a sudden, probably due to the blood he'd lost._

" _The same man who told you where and how to find the doctors you've spent the last two years hunting and butchering," the masked man capped off._

 _That got Utakata's attention. "Say what?"_

" _We're the ones who found you, at his instruction, and brought you to him so he could tell you what he wanted you to do with those doctors. We're also the ones who helped him develop Akatsuki, with the expressed purpose of killing you and your fellow Kyuushingai for your antics in the 365 days. We know what we're talking about."_

" _Then why double-cross your own boss?" Utakata wondered aloud._

" _Not everybody follows orders because they actually want to. Our employer holds too much influence for us to subvert his ambitions directly and openly. So, we do only what we can, when we can. And right now, as repugnant as you are as an individual, if stopping your intended death will somehow throw a wrench into his plans without him making the connection to us, we'll take what we can get and work from there."_

 _Utakata considered what he was being told. "Tell me who your boss is. I never got to see his face…"_

" _And he was careful to make sure of that," the masked man told him. "As to who he is…"_

 _As one, the masked figures all removed their helmets…and Utakata frowned. "Sorry, I don't know you."_

" _Of course you wouldn't. But you know the company we work for," the leader said patiently. "All of us are secretaries, public relations officers, and communications officers—people who usually act behind the scenes while allowing our employer to get the glory and limelight. And our company…is Kira Enterprises."_

 _Utakata blinked. Then…a smirk came over his face and a chuckle escaped his throat. "Of_ course. _I should've recognized his voice. There's no way I should've been unable to recognize Kira Ay's baritone."_

 _The four Kira Enterprises employees all gave each other knowing looks. Then the leader looked back at Utakata. "Good guess…but wrong twin."_

" _Eh?"_

" _It's not Kira Ay." The leader gave Utakata a hard look. "It's Kira Hachi…who you knew as Killer Bee."_

 **OoOoO**

"…and then they told me the whole story, about how it wasn't Bee who died that day like we'd thought, how it was the actual Kira Enterprises CEO who dressed up as his brother and died instead of him…how Bee took on his dead bro's identity and let the world think Ay was alive and Bee was dead for the next two years," said Utakata.

"I assume you found it hard to believe that one of your fellow Terrors was the one responsible for setting you up in such a manner," said Hinata.

Utakata scoffed. "Actually, I could dig it. After the government used artificial intelligence to turn an ordinary homeless guy like me into a man capable of slicing people to ribbons with bladed whips, what _wouldn't_ I believe?"

"…point," Hinata acquiesced. "But now you know Kira Hachi was the one who set you up to die for being a Kyuushingai and so that your murders of all those doctors couldn't be traced back to him. Why continue to go after Dr. Haruno now, knowing this?"

"I don't like leaving jobs unfinished—simple," said Utakata.

"Then this job will remain unfinished as long as you live. Naruto-kun and Yugito-san will stop you however many times it takes," said Hinata.

"And if I kill them?" Utakata pressed.

"Then someone else will take up the responsibility," Hinata answered readily.

"Even if it's you, knowing you don't have a snowball's chance against me?" Utakata demanded.

Hinata did not hesitate—she asserted her defensive stance again. "I'll do my part. But I won't do it alone. Everyone in Konoha Town will unite to do all they can, whether they're fighters or not. It'll be you against an entire city, defending one of its own. And even if the Kyuushingai are reputed for killing entire cities…I wonder if you'd get away completely unhurt, given the kind of assaults we've repelled in recent times? Our city has been wounded before, yes…but we've come back stronger every time. And _you_ will simply be one more adversity that Konoha Town will stand against, no matter how many times we must do so."

Utakata's gaze narrowed as he looked at the Hyuga…and the smirk came back onto his mouth. "Oh, yeah, Yugito would definitely have agreed to train someone like you. You've got brass balls, for a girl." He straightened up and began to coil up first one whip, then the other. "Just hope you're not on my immediate kill-list the next time I see you. That time, I won't stop at _just_ the one swing of my whips."

Hinata made no response, but stayed in her defensive stance and kept her eyes on Utakata as he turned and stalked off into the forest…and then once he was out of sight, she loudly let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and sagged to her knees. "Whew…that was too close…" she whispered as she reached into a pocket and pulled out her cell-phone.

 **OoOoO**

" _WHAT?"_ Naruto exploded into his phone. "Crap…I'm on my way!"

Kushina, Sakura and Mrs. Haruno gave him unnerved looks. "What is it?" Kushina asked.

"Hinata had a near-brush with Utakata, that's what!" Naruto replied. "I'm going to her!" and then he rushed for the front door and was gone before any of the ladies could respond.

"Hinata…she…got up close to that killer…" Sakura ran a hand through her hair.

 **OoOoO**

"I see…all right, Naruto, you go make sure she's okay. I'll stick with Dr. Haruno in case of anything, and your mother should still be with his family," Yugito spoke into her phone. "Keep me posted."

Off to one side, Dr. Haruno, Ibiki and the coroner gave Yugito wary looks as she hung up her phone. "Hinata-san ran into Utakata…and survived?" Dr. Haruno breathed.

"He must be playing pragmatic—if he knows she's associated with both Naruto _and_ me, he'll know that a two-on-one teaming won't end well for him." Yugito's expression was grim. "Especially if it's to avenge someone we mutually care about."

The coroner sighed. "That confirms it, then—more work to determine the identity of that guy who we thought was Utakata. And to notify the next of kin, if there's any to notify."

"And I'll make sure that bastard doesn't get far out of Konoha Town." Ibiki pulled out his own phone and speed-dialed a number. "Yeah, dispatch, it's Ibiki. Send out a top-priority call to every cop in town—we've got a fugitive to catch."

 **OoOoO**

Naruto's heart was thudding like a boom-box in his chest, his lungs felt on fire, and his legs were threatening to lose all feeling—but still he refused to stop his stampede until he was at the very foot of the Hyuga manor's hill. Going up the hill, that was when he started losing steam, but he pressed on until he got to the gate and slammed a hand on the intercom button. "Hello! Anybody? Hinata, are you there? Somebody answer me!" he yelled.

" _Calm down, Naruto-kun, we hear you,"_ Kabuto's reassuring voice came over the speaker. _"Hinata-sama's inside, safe and sound. She just told us everything. Wait a minute, I'll open the gate for you."_

Relieved, Naruto stepped back and waited for the gate to open; then the moment it was wide enough for him to slip through, he gave a fresh burst of speed right across the driveway and up to the front door, which was being opened by Kabuto himself. "Living room," Kabuto quickly directed him.

The blond boy hurried inside, in time to see Hinata sitting on one of the couches, with Neji standing behind her seat and Hiashi and Hanabi sitting across from her. "Oi, Hinata!" he exclaimed. "Hi, everyone, sorry to show up unannounced, but—Hinata, are you all right? Did that bastard do anything to you?"

"Oh—Naruto-kun!" Hinata blinked at the sight of Naruto's urgent expression. "He, ah, he slung one of his whips at me, but he missed…and then all that happened afterward was that we talked."

Naruto's expression went flat. "…you talked."

Hiashi's face was stern. "Hinata just told us in brief what happened…and to think it happened just outside the bounds of the mansion, too…" He shook his head. "Something tells me I'd better start practicing my rifle shooting into those woods from now on, in case anybody thinks to intrude from that direction."

"At the very least, we can be glad nothing more serious happened to Hinata," said Neji.

"Do you think the police will catch him, though?" Hanabi fretted.

"If they don't, I will," Naruto declared. "Before even that, though…" He came over to where Hinata was sitting and took the chair next to her. "Hinata, do you think you can tell me what exactly happened?"

"Mind your manners, Naruto-kun," Neji warned him. "Besides, Hinata's just had a harrowing experience…"

"It's okay, Neji—I'm good," Hinata held up a hand to stay her cousin. "As for Utakata and what he said," here she turned to Naruto, "I think you _should_ hear what he told me. It's…interesting, to say the least."

Naruto nodded. "Okay. Tell us everything."

 **OoOoO**

Elsewhere…

Utakata was crouching under a bridge, keenly listening as the noise of distant sirens gradually got closer and closer to his location. He listened as the sirens rushed closer…then over the bridge…then receding and eventually fading.

 _Well…the cops are really on the ball, at least. They won't be boring, I'm sure._

Unconsciously, he reached up a hand to touch the scar on his collarbone. _I came to death's door already. Nothing you punks can do can scare me. It is YOU who should fear ME._

He turned his eyes toward the gradually-darkening sky, his thoughts suddenly contemplative. _Unfinished business in this town…yet…somehow, for some reason…I don't want it to be finished so soon._

His sinister grin came back. _I wanna have me some FUN._

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 27

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: It's now fully and firmly official, people. Utakata, a.k.a. Saiken the Slug of the Kyuushingai, is a fully established mainstay in Naruto's rogues' gallery. (Yes, I will ever and always maintain that I love that trope.)

And now we have the explanation for how come Utakata didn't lose his head like we'd all thought. And to be honest, in case I never said it previously, I hadn't actually planned to bring him back, but c'mon—why let Gaara and Kira be the only Kyuushingai in Naruto's list of enemies, eh?

Although…does this mean that…certain others…will get the same treatment?

Eh, read more to find out. Maybe I'll do it, maybe I won't. Who knows?

More Gaidens to come!


	28. Commission of Enquiry

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 28 – Commission of Enquiry**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place during Year 1 of the 15-year time-skip before the finale.)_

"All rise!" the bailiff barked, and as one everybody sitting in the courtroom stood in acknowledgement of the grizzled and graying judge while he ascended the three steps going up to his place on the bench. Then: "This honorable court shall now proceed. Be seated," the bailiff continued.

Gama Jiraiya, at the back of the courtroom, steeled himself. Today was the beginning of the commission of enquiry into the circumstances that had led to the brouhaha at Parliament a year ago…the circumstances that started with the Futona Seigi scandal and ballooned into the creation of the Nine Terrors and the events of the 365 days. He was going to be in the hot seat today, he was sure of that, just as how the government ministers who'd given him his instructions would be in the hot seat for the duration of this enquiry…the only question was how long he'd be in that seat, and how hot the seat would be while he was in it.

His eyes drifted to the three lawyers currently still standing as they faced the judge, their backs turned toward the rest of the courtroom and Jiraiya by extension. These three were the attorneys leading the enquiry on behalf of the State—Uzuki Yugao, the attorney who, irony of ironies, he himself had brought forward to lead the tribunal against Uzumaki Naruto; Kato Dan, who'd defended Naruto during that same tribunal; and Kaneko Zeshin, who Jiraiya knew by reputation to be an ace prosecutor who'd head for the jugular and never let go. They'd all sat the Bar exam together, he knew; that they should be teamed together now came as no surprise to him.

He glanced a little to his left to see the government ministers sitting in the same row with him: Akahoshi, the Minister of Tourism; Shijimi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Jibachi, the Minister of Information. All three were looking straight ahead, not even deigning to look his way—but he became aware, in that instant, that Yamashiro Aoba, his current boss and the late Ishikawa's replacement as Minister of Justice, was sitting in the row immediately in front of him, and that Aoba-sama had turned his head slightly to look back at Jiraiya…and the look Aoba-sama was giving him was enough to make Jiraiya wish he could sink into the floor and never come back up.

He only barely heard what the lawyers were saying to the judge at that moment. "…based on the evidence before us, it is clear that the Ministries of Tourism, Foreign Affairs, Information, and Justice are complicit in the workings of this scandal," Yugao-chan—no, just Yugao at this point, no sense in perving over her—was saying to His Honor. "This commission of enquiry is intended to examine to what extent the specific parties are complicit, and to thereby exercise any sanctions as the court shall see fit to proclaim."

"And the duration of this commission of enquiry, based on the evidence to be perused and witnesses to be examined—this will take us at least a month, assuming things go uninterrupted," the judge remarked.

"It should take no longer than that, Your Honor; we've already gone through case-management discussions with the other attorneys in this matter, and we've all agreed that certain proceedings will take place so as not to draw the matter out further," Zeshin replied.

"And I assume all attorneys have their evidences and witnesses ready?" asked the judge.

"We and our friends on the other side of the equation do, Your Honor," said Dan.

The judge nodded. "Very well. Will the Crown call its first witness, then, so we can get the ball rolling?"

Yugao turned to look at the police officer standing guard at the door. "The Crown calls its first witness: Shimada Yachi."

Jiraiya promptly turned to look as the cop at the door now opened it and made a beckoning gesture…and then in came Yachi, carrying herself with all the dignity she could display. She spared Jiraiya and the three ministers a brief but withering look…then she looked at Aoba-sama with an expression that seemed almost pitying…and then she took her place in the witness box and took up the Bible in one hand.

"I solemnly swear before this honorable court that I will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth," Yachi recited, before putting the Bible back in its place.

"Good morning, Shimada-san," Dan greeted her. "Do you understand why you've been called here today?"

"Yes, I do—to give testimony in relation to the Futona Seigi scandal which was exposed during the LOVE group's siege of Parliament last year," Yachi answered readily.

"What can you tell us of that scandal?" Dan inquired.

"The scandal centered around the actions of our government ministers Akahoshi, Shijimi, Jibachi, the late Ishikawa, and the Justice Ministry's permanent secretary Gama Jiraiya, in covering up the circumstances surrounding the deaths of a number of our military troops on foreign soil," said Yachi.

"What circumstances were those, Shimada-san?" Yugao spoke up.

"They conspired to fabricate a story that was later circulated to the families of those soldiers, claiming that some of them were involved in weapons smuggling and got accidentally blown up by a missile they were transporting incognito," said Yachi. "But the truth of the matter is, those soldiers were killed by friendly fire…caused when I and Gama Jiraiya, while drunk and engaging in flirtatious behavior in a missile-launch room, accidentally triggered a rocket that blew up their vehicle."

Jiraiya couldn't help scowling darkly at the memory, but he could nonetheless see that Yachi was giving her testimony with total calm on her face. She wasn't looking at him now, or at any of the government ministers, but a quick glance to his left told him that Akahoshi, Shijimi and Jibachi were all glaring daggers at her, as if the power of their rage-filled looks could strike her down right there in the witness box.

 **OoOoO**

One week later.

"…and then Yamashiro-sama commissioned me to uncover as much information as I could into the circumstances surrounding Shimada-san, and what, if anything, that had to do with the 365 days," the blond-haired man gave his evidence in the witness box two hours later.

Jiraiya let out a barely-audible sigh. This man, Namikaze Minato, was Naruto's father, he knew…and suddenly he was hoping that this man hadn't found anything _too_ damning. After all, Yachi's testimony was already damning enough…right?

"And did you carry out those instructions?" Zeshin asked.

"Yes, sir," said Minato. "I put together a team of investigators to outline who stood to benefit the most from the training and development of the Kyuushingai; who were the parties involved in the training of the Kyuushingai; and what the Kyuushingai were expected to do had their training been successfully completed. My team carried out those investigations over the course of three years, from the end of the 365 days to a few months before this commission of enquiry began."

"What were your findings?" asked Dan.

"The Kyuushingai training project was listed as an experimental national security initiative, approved by our government, equipped by defense contractor Kira Enterprises, and funded by both the Hyuga Corporation and the Uchiha Zaibatsu," Minato explained. "The training involved experimental artificial intelligence technology that was ingrained into the trainees to give the, years' worth of skills in only a few months' time…and the experiment in that regard was a success across the board. All of this was information that was made readily available on our official government websites. However, there was something else."

"What was that, Namikaze-san?" asked Yugao.

"The nine trainees who would eventually be known as the Kyuushingai, they were told during their training that their objectives as provided by the government would include, as necessary, the performance of assassinations in the interest of national security and border protection," said Minato. "Those names would be provided by the Ministry of Information and vetted by the Ministry of Justice. However, there was no official list of any such names in any of the databases we checked, whether on the public government websites or in any of the ministers' or other parties' private correspondences."

Aoba's eyes were sharply narrowed; Jibachi's face was expressionless.

"What else _did_ you discover as a result of your investigations?" asked Dan.

Minato looked directly at the judge. "There were three former employees of the Ministry of Justice who were targeted by LOVE, along with Gama Jiraiya. We secured computer data from them, and also secured telephone records from both their private phone lines and from the Ministry at the time of their employment there."

"And did you find anything of relevance from the computer and telephone data secured from those three?" asked Zeshin.

"We did," Minato nodded. "There were several records of telephone calls from Sabaku Yashamaru, the CEO of Sabaku Limited, to the Ministry with regards to his sister and brother-in-law, who were among the military personnel killed by the missile strike. On at least one occasion, one of those calls was patched directly through to Ishikawa-sama's personal line…the details of the ensuing conversation were very informative to us."

Very quietly, almost not realizing it, Jiraiya clenched his fists in his lap so hard the knuckles turned white.

 **OoOoO**

Two weeks later.

"Yes, I got to speak with Minister Ishikawa directly, after several attempts," Sabaku Yashamaru, taking his turn in the witness box, spoke in a calm tone and pointedly kept his eyes from shifting toward the gallery where the government ministers were watching him like hawks. "I asked him to open an inquest into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of my relatives and their fellow military personnel, because I did not believe the official release that had been sent out was accurate."

"What was his response?" Zeshin queried.

Yashamaru's brow knitted. "He said that if I ever contacted him or the Ministry again, he'd be forced to treat my requests for inquiry as tantamount to treason against the government's well-being."

 **OoOoO**

The following week.

"Immediately after the soldiers' deaths, I checked the weapons inventory of our base," Baki explained as he was in his turn on the witness stand. "All the weaponry was correctly accounted for, except for one missile…the one which had been fired and which destroyed the military unit's vehicle."

"Yet you gave the story that the deceased members of the unit were involved in a weapons' smuggling enterprise." Yugao made no effort to soften the look she gave him.

Baki sighed heavily. "Yes. I did."

"On whose instruction?" Yugao demanded.

Baki lowered his gaze. "Sarutobi Hiruzen-sama, of the Ministry of Defense."

 **OoOoO**

"Yes, I gave Baki-san the instruction to run with that version of events instead of telling the truth about what actually happened," Sarutobi said in a low tone as he sat in the witness box, looking older at that moment than he actually was.

Dan appeared to struggle with voicing anything, even as he processed Sarutobi's resigned admission. Then: "…why?" was all he could manage.

"Because…because I wanted to protect our country's reputation, especially after I was informed of exactly what would be at stake if the truth came out," said Sarutobi.

Zeshin stood up. "Could you elaborate on that for the court? Informed by whom and about what exactly?"

Sarutobi closed his eyes. "Akahoshi-san and Shijimi-san advised me that, if the word got out about the nature of the soldiers' deaths, we would be made a laughingstock, several trade deals which were yet to be inked would be cancelled, and other countries would never take us seriously again. Additionally, Jibachi-san said that our party, the United Liberty Party, would lose the public's favor at the polls if we should be perceived as employing irresponsible government representatives, especially since Jiraiya-san and Yachi-san being drunk was the direct cause of this tragedy. And they said it would be better if it was believed that those personnel were terrorism-sympathizers who died in the line of wrongdoing. In other words…we needed to save face."

 **OoOoO**

The week after that.

"As the Minister of National Security, how aware were you of what had happened?" Zeshin asked Byakuren, the next witness in the box.

Byakuren closed his eyes, deep lines creasing his brow. "Not nearly enough for my position, I fear. I know that Sabaku Yashamaru made several attempts to communicate with representatives of my Ministry, as well as the Ministries of Justice and Defense, in an effort to open an enquiry into the deaths of his relatives and the other soldiers who died as a result of this incident…but his efforts were stonewalled each time. Back then, I was only told that the soldiers were terrorism-sympathizers…I did not get to learn the full facts until after LOVE's exposé at Parliament last year."

Yugao eyeballed the older man. "You say your representatives in the Ministry were the ones to communicate with Sabaku Yashamaru. Did you, yourself, ever make any effort to reach out to him, to find out why exactly he wanted to speak with you?"

Byakuren shook his head. "I am ashamed to admit…I did not."

Dan frowned. "Minister, your ministry and the Ministry of Justice collaborated together with Kira Enterprises, Hyuga Corporation and the Uchiha Zaibatsu in the training project that gave birth to the Kyuushingai—correct?"

"Yes, that is so," said Byakuren.

"You were provided with the names and other pertinent information about the nine trainees?" asked Dan.

"Yes," Byakuren affirmed.

"Then did it not strike you as odd, Minister, that of those nine trainees, one proved to be named Ishida Gaara—the child of two of the soldiers who died in that accident, and the nephew of the man who was basically barred from making contact with you by the representatives of your own Ministry?" Dan queried.

Byakuren sighed. "I acknowledged the connection between young Gaara and these individuals…but given his age at the time, I did not expect him to have such a deep knowledge of the scandal as he did; nor did I think he would've planned his assassination plot as thoroughly as he did. That oversight is my responsibility…and, I suspect, the responsibility of all of us who oversaw the training programme."

 **OoOoO**

Two weeks after that.

"Well, everyone…it's been just about eight weeks since this commission of enquiry began. The evidence that's come to light has been nothing short of damning. The media outlets are wringing all the news stories they can get from this disgrace that's befallen the government. Even now, my critics are calling for my head, demanding to know how come I, the Prime Minister, could not have known what was happening directly under my nose. Let me tell you this…this situation has left our government, has left ME, in an absolutely embarrassing situation. I am NOT happy. And if I am not happy… _none of you will be either."_

Kazahana Sousetsu paused and glared at the seven political figures seated in front of his desk—Jiraiya, Akahoshi, Shijimi, Jibachi, Aoba, Sarutobi and Byakuren. "I have gone through all the information that has been made available to me since LOVE's antics at Parliament, and this is what I have concluded," Sousetsu went on. "We have sullied the good names of our own country's soldiers. We have caused irreparable damage to at least four families who were affected by the Futona Seigi incident and the resulting 365 days, not to mention the hundreds who were affected during those same 365 days. We have signed treaties, agreements, and memorandums of understanding, on the face of a lie. We have made a mockery of the very concept of justice itself. Even as I speak, calls are being made for me to sack every one of you who's been involved in this mess…and with everything that has resulted from this scandal since its inception, I must say that those calls are not without justification."

He rested his hands atop the table and intertwined his fingers in a solemn gesture. "Tomorrow will be the monthly press-cabinet briefng. Members of our ruling United Liberty Party and the opposition Advance People's Party will be present, along with political commentators who've been specially invited to witness that conference with the press. Let me tell you now, in advance, what's going to happen between now and the end of that meeting tomorrow. And I want all of you to pay very keen attention and not to contradict me—because right now, given the crap we've all gotten into thanks to you jackasses, I am **NOT** in the mood to entertain any dissidence from any of you, and any attempt on your part to bring up same will be treated by me, for all intents and purposes, as tantamount to an act of _treason."_

Silence rested heavily in the room while Sousetsu looked at each of the seven, one after another. Then he opened his mouth again.

"Gama Jiraiya…since it was your actions, together with Shimada Yachi, that started this whole mess, you are to bear the greatest share of the burden of responsibility. Shimada-san has at least done all she could do to make herself somewhat accountable, something _you_ failed to emulate. Therefore, I am ordering that between now and the end of that press-cabinet briefing tomorrow, you hand in your letter of resignation, to be put into effect immediately. Do you understand me?"

Jiraiya dared not look the Prime Minister in the eye. "Yes, sir, Mr. Prime Minister."

"Hmm." Sousetsu gave a sweeping glance to Akahoshi, Shijimi and Jibachi. "You three…" He pointed to each of them. "You, along with the departed Ishikawa, were the ones who endeavored to cover up this whole disgraceful incident that started everything—and did so with a lie that Jiraiya was complicit in and that you sought to force onto Shimada-san as well. And yet, your attempted cover-up led to numerous deaths over a one-year period anyway, including the deaths of innocent people."

"It was mostly street punks that died," Akahoshi muttered under his breath.

" _ **I BEG YOUR PARDON?"**_ Sousetsu's tone was _thunderous_ as he gave the Tourism Minister a glare that would've melted iron.

"…forgive me, sir." Akahoshi looked about ready to have a heart attack.

"…ahem. As I was saying before I was so unduly interrupted," Sousetsu continued without lessening his glare, "the three of you are to have your resignations on my desk by this evening. None of you will be shifted to other ministries; none of you will be reassigned to any other portfolios; none of you will even get the privilege of cleaning Parliament's toilets. You are all out of my cabinet as of today."

Shijimi hesitantly raised her hand. "Sir…?"

" **What."** Sousetsu hissed.

"Er…not disputing your judgment, sir, just wondering…" Shijimi bit her lower lip. "Since we'll be out of our offices after today, won't you need to do some reshuffling to fill those Ministries?"

"And besides which—if I may," Jibachi hastily tacked on as Sousetsu's glare shifted to him, "our general elections are set for later in this year. If we're going out of our portfolios now, you'll need to adjust things so the United Liberty Party can have a shot at winning the election."

Sousetsu's glare did not diminish. "To answer your question," he pointed to Shijimi, "filling your vacant posts is the least you should worry about; that will be my task. And you…" He pointed to Jibachi. "A scandal that's affecting _everyone_ on _every side of the political divide_ is dragging ALL of us through the mud, and you're worried about election results? I would strongly suggest that you re-examine your priorities while I'm still treating you with the civility you DON'T deserve."

"…yes, sir," Shijimi and Jibachi muttered together.

"Good. Now, moving on…" Sousetsu turned to Sarutobi. "That you were misinformed on how to deal with the scandal when you were first told of it does not excuse the fact that you mishandled it as badly as you did. Now, it won't make sense to fire you, seeing as you're already close to the age of retirement for ministry officials anyway; but there still needs to be accountability from the Defense Ministry. Therefore, I will be sending you on early pre-retirement leave, and you are to select your successor for training to fill your post once your official retirement date comes along. I'll also expect the Defense Ministry to give a thorough apology to the families of our armed forces for the disgrace this scandal has thrust upon them."

Sarutobi nodded. "I accept your instruction, Mr. Prime Minister."

"Good." Sousetsu looked at Byakuren. "Minister Byakuren…I understand that some of the Kyuushingai are already under your direct supervision, as their penance for their role in the 365 days."

"Yes, Mr. Prime Minister," Byakuren nodded confirmation.

"Very well, then. That arrangement will continue until you are otherwise informed; until then, they are your responsibility…especially the one who was underage when all this happened—Uzumaki Naruto, I take it?" asked Sousetsu.

"That's the one, sir," said Byakuren.

"Good." Sousetsu turned to Aoba. "And finally, Aoba…you started an investigation into the circumstances of the 365 days and the Futona Seigi scandal…a noble move, but one that was done behind my back, without my knowledge or consent, using means that I did not approve, in an initiative about which I was kept totally in the dark. I don't like or appreciate being blindsided like that, even as well-intended as your initiative was."

Aoba cast his eyes down at the carpet. "I am sorry, Mr. Prime Minister."

"As well, your predecessor Ishikawa was instrumental in this scandal getting as far as it did, before his untimely demise," Sousetsu went on. "The Justice Ministry has perverted the very tenets of justice in its dealings concerning the Kyuushingai, as well. Therefore, while I won't punish you for what Ishikawa did, I will expect you to make amends in your capacity as the Minister of this portfolio. You will submit a full report of your actions in all of this to me first thing tomorrow morning, and report to me alongside whoever you had assisting you in this matter."

Aoba nodded once. "I understand, sir."

"Good." Sousetsu sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair. "Let's hope, once everything is finished, that we can somehow salvage our reputations…such as those reputations are at this point." He nodded. "You are dismissed, all of you."

 **OoOoO**

Early the next morning.

"I see…so you're the one Aoba commissioned to lead this black-ops group in investigating the 365 days and the scandal that started everything," Sousetsu folded his arms over his chest as his eyes bore into the face of the blond-haired man before him. "Namikaze Minato…whose son, Uzumaki Naruto, was also one of the infamous Kyuushingai."

"Yes, Mr. Prime Minister." Minato had his head held down slightly, while off to one side Aoba was watching the two men keenly.

"You're one of our country's most highly-decorated soldiers, Mr. Namikaze. Some would say you're the best of the best. But you are not blameless in this whole thing." Sousetsu shook his head. "Among other things, allowing your son, a pre-teen at the time, to participate in a training exercise that resulted in hi being robbed of a chunk of the childhood he was supposed to have had…even if he chose of his own volition to enter the Kyuushingai training, as I'm told he did, that does not excuse the fact that you, as his father, failed to do your duty to protect your son. You let him be exposed to the kind of violence that only battle-ready soldiers should engage in. I should, by all rights, order your arrest for child endangerment—but the only reason I haven't done so is because your actions that you've taken in the past year to bring justice to this matter have borne significant fruit, _and_ because your son, young as he is, has proven to be quite the hardy fellow."

In spite of himself, Minato gave a little smirk. "If I may speak freely, sir?"

"Make it quick," said Sousetsu.

"Thank you, sir." Minato relaxed. "That hardiness he has…he got more of it from his mother than me."

"I'm sure." Sousetsu nodded. "That being said…your little black-ops group…what's its name, again?"

Minato took a deep breath. "Yuyami."

"Yuyami…" Sousetsu let the word flow from his lips. "Dusk…nightfall…a fitting name for a group that officially doesn't exist, that works under the cover of darkness literal and figurative."

"Yes, sir." It was all Minato said.

"The existence of such a group is very risky, at best," Sousetsu remarked. "Handling dangerous, off-the-books missions…but since you officially don't exist, what's to stop you from going rogue and doing your own thing?"

"We were formed at Aoba-sama's behest, to bring the truth of the Futona Seigi scandal and the origin of the 365 days to light, as you've just acknowledged, sir," said Minato. "Now you know of our existence…and you are of the highest rank in this country's government. Our fate is in your hands, sir."

Aoba glanced from Minato to Sousetsu and back again, but he made no comment.

"As you say." Sousetsu's eyes narrowed as he looked at Minato. "Listen to me, Mr. Namikaze. The government is supposed to serve the people that elected it. The government's first responsibility is to its people. The government is to uphold the law, protect the rights of everyone, and do no harm to the innocent. Yet under my very nose, some of my own cabinet members have violated all three of those tenets—for the sake of protecting the country, some might argue, but using tactics that damaged the country's reputation and credibility in the end anyway. And if I'm to wax political, this blight on our faces will result in the ruling party losing the next election purely because we've lost the trust of the people."

Minato waited.

"Corruption has existed from ever since governments first became a concept. What that means, then, is that we need to reduce corruption as far as we possibly can…bringing in the necessary reforms…upholding justice unbiased and unprejudiced." Sousetsu fixed a firm look on the blond man. "Even if it has to happen from the shadows…from the night…from behind the dusk."

"…then Yuyami continues?" asked Minato.

"In service to the very seat of the Prime Minister…whether me, or my successors, regardless of party lines and independent of political bias. The people must come first, held up by justice…even if justice must be brought on the head of the Prime Minister himself." Sousetsu's face was grim. "Where crime and corruption show up and the official forces cannot deal with it directly…then you step in and exercise justice. Not according to your own dictates, lest you become no better than a vigilante, but in keeping with our constitution and with what the rule of right declares. Accountability—be its vanguard."

There was silence for a moment. Then Minato stood to his full height and saluted. "I accept this mission, Mr. Prime Minister."

"Good." Sousetsu nodded. "Prepare a list of Yuyami's members and bring it to me by the end of the day. I want to know who exactly I am dealing with."

"About that, sir, may I offer a suggestion?" Aoba spoke up.

Minato and Sousetsu looked at him. "Aoba-sama?" Minato queried.

"What is it, Aoba?" Sousetsu cocked an eyebrow.

"I was thinking…if you'd be so minded, that maybe we could add a few more members to this group." Aoba reached a hand into his jacket. "Based on the information I've received from Yuyami to date, these individuals have been quite helpful in the resolution of this whole matter…and some of them have been given a rather raw deal and could do, I think, with a fresh start." Then he took out four photographs and placed them on Sousetsu's desk.

Sousetsu looked at each of the photos in turn. One depicted a woman with blue hair; one showed a dark-skinned man with white hair; one showed a man with bandage wrappings around his mouth; and one showed a man with cat-like eyes. "These are…" the Prime Minister began.

"Not beyond redeeming, I believe," said Aoba. "Of course, that's for you to decide, sir."

"Hmm." Sousetsu eyed the photos. "I'll need time to consider this. This is not a decision to take lightly."

Minato bowed. "As you say, sir."

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 28

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: And so, the commission of enquiry into the Futona Seigi scandal is shown in at least partial detail…and the name of Minato's black-ops team, Yuyami, is revealed.

Regarding Yuyami, if you've been keeping track of both the main story and the Gaiden chapters, then you'll know that by the main story's final chapter, there are eight members: Minato the leader, Yugito, Itachi, Jei, Konan, Kyusuke, Zabuza, and Darui. Are there other members? You'll have to wait for future Gaidens to see.

And there ARE more Gaiden chapters coming, don't worry!


	29. Nuptials, Part 1

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 29 – Nuptials, Part 1**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place during Year 8 of the 15-year time-skip before the finale.)_

Hinata carefully held the letter in her hands as she read through it from start to finish, her eyes taking in every word inked on the paper.

 **Dear Naruto and Hinata,**

 **There don't exist words appropriate enough to outline how proud I am of both of you, for having made it this far, after so many years. Even right now, I don't feel that what I'm penning here will ever be adequate enough, and in fact I regret that I won't be able to say what I want to say to both of you, in person, at the time when it should matter most of all. There are too many things that tend to happen to get in the way of even our best intentions, and as I'm sure you know, the life I live is one of those things. Fortunately for both of you, Kushina, Yugito and Itachi will make sure to rap their knuckles all over my cranium on your behalf for not being physically present to watch as the two of you take this very significant plunge.**

 **As it stands, even though I won't be able to be present at the venue grounds, my heart will be with both of you, supporting you, ready to hold you up as you go forward in this newest phase of your shared life. Indeed, what you'll be doing today isn't the end-goal of your togetherness up to this point—it's only the first major milestone you'll be passing together. The difficulties won't stop now, they'll only get rougher as time progresses, but today you guys will be committing yourselves to facing those storms head-on, without flinching, and most importantly, hand in hand, heart to heart, together.**

 **There will be days when you'll be each other's sunshine. There will be nights when you'll cry on each other's shoulders. There will be periods when one of you needs to be the other's anchor, or when the other needs to be the one's pillar. There will be times when you won't fully agree; one of you will find fault with the other over something. It won't be a dance among the flowers; it'll be a struggle, a battle, a constant marathon, but only in such storms will you be able to secure the calm and the peace that each of you will provide the other. No ship that ever shied away from the waters ever withstood a storm; no tree that ever got sheltered from harm ever stood strong against the elements. What you are entering into today will be your ship, your tree; it's up to you two to make sure the ship stays seaworthy and the tree stands tall.**

 **Happiness isn't going to fall into your laps just so; happiness is something you have to establish. I know you two are capable of it; I trust you will put that capability into action, today and forever, and make it known that while you are strong individually, united you will be stronger still.**

 **Love always, Minato.**

She read it again. And again. And yet again. Then, slowly, she folded the paper and slipped it back into the unsigned envelope in which she'd received it. "Hmm…"

"Hey, Hinata."

The gray-eyed woman turned to see Ino approaching, clad in a strapless baby-blue dress. "You've been reading that letter for a while now," Ino remarked. "Are you upset because Minato-san isn't here?"

Hinata shrugged. "A little…but government work won't stop just because his son is getting married," she replied. "Plus, Kushina-san, Yugito-san and Itachi-san will give him the third degree later."

Ino put a hand on her hip and smiled. "And how are _you_ feeling about today? Nervous?"

"I'd be dishonest if I said no," Hinata answered. "I'm about to tie the knot…with Naruto…"

"Aw, don't stress! After all, your maid of honor is right here to make sure everything goes exactly as it should!" Ino grinned and clapped a playful hand on Hinata's shoulder.

There was a knock at the door at that moment. "Hinata, it's me…are you nearly ready?"

"Oh, Yugito-san! Yes, come on in!" Hinata invited.

And in came Yugito, clad in a very sensual-looking black dress—if Hinata remembered correctly, the same black dress Yugito had been wearing the night she showed up at the Hyuga family's anniversary party all those years ago. Now Yugito looked at the snow-white strapless dress Hinata was wearing, with silk-white elbow-length gloves covering her arms and a carefully-arranged crown of purple and white roses in her hair. "Hinata…you're truly royalty, the way you look right now," she said in a reverential tone.

Hinata nodded. "Thank you."

Yugito stepped forward, gently caught Hinata's face in her cupped hands, and planted a light peck on the young bride's forehead. "For best wishes for the ceremony," she whispered. "Naruto can do everything else when you guys are alone later," she added with a devious smirk.

"Yugito-san!" Hinata couldn't help the bright red tinge that shone right down her face and neck.

"Heh, heh, heh." Ino chuckled. "Eh, Yugito-san, how's the man of the day? Have you seen him yet?"

"Oh, I passed by his dressing room once or twice in the last hour," said Yugito. "He's the very picture of composure, take it from me."

 **OoOoO**

"Trust me, dude, I'm fine," Naruto hissed at Sasuke.

"Then why are you sweating like a pig despite the AC in this room right now?" Sasuke growled.

"Don't you know by now? I _hate_ formalwear!" Naruto gritted out through clenched teeth, giving his gold-colored tuxedo a disdainful look.

"Even for your own wedding?" Sasuke made a face. "Gosh, you're hopeless."

Off to one side, Shikamaru grinned. "I don't think it's the tuxedo that's got him so bothered. He's probably thinking of what Hinata's gonna look like once her wedding dress comes off."

"Shika!" Naruto snapped, fangs in his mouth.

There was a knock at the door. "Oi, Naruto, may I come in?" Kushina's familiar voice came through.

"You'd better, Kushina-san. Naruto needs his mommy to hold his hand right now," Sasuke deadpanned.

" _Teme…!"_ Naruto snarled.

A moment later in came Kushina, shaking her head. "Honestly, what am I going to do with you, today of all days," she muttered as she crossed over to Naruto and began to fuss with his bowtie.

"Mom, I told you the last five times you came in here, I'm fine!" Naruto protested.

"Nonsense. It's a mother's job to fuss over her only son." Kushina's movements slowed. "Especially today…on his wedding day…" She sniffed a little. "I know I'm getting a lovely daughter-in-law, but it still feels like I'm losing my baby boy…I'm so happy, and yet so sad…oh, it's conflicting!"

Shikamaru cast a glance at Sasuke. "You sure it's Naruto who needs his hand held?"

"I might be willing to review that thought," Sasuke grunted.

"Too bad Naruto's dad's not here, or else he could do the hand-holding," Shikamaru commented.

The atmosphere in the room seemed to change abruptly, as Kushina stiffened and Naruto shot her a worried glance. Sasuke looked from one to the other of them before throwing a dirty look at Shikamaru; and Shikamaru, for his part, suddenly felt uncomfortable as he took in the change. "Oh…uh…"

"Nice, Nara," Sasuke's glare intensified to match the sarcasm dripping from his words.

"No, no—it's okay," Kushina said quietly. "You thought that would be a sore point?"

"...kinda?" Sasuke said uneasily.

"Well...I admit I'm disappointed he can't be here, but I guess I can't blame him." Kushina's hair overshadowed her eyes. "It's not like it'd be the first time he's missed out on important things…"

Naruto put a gentle hand on his mother's arm. "Mom…Dad really wanted to be here, we both know that. It's not his fault he got a high-priority government mission at the last minute."

"But honestly, couldn't they have gotten somebody else? Why'd it have to be him specially?" Kushina made no effort to hide the complaint in her tone.

"At the very least, we'll have photos and video footage to share with him later," Naruto said reasonably.

"True, that," Shikamaru spoke up. "And besides which, what're we getting so bothered for anyway? Today's not about your dad, or about anyone else—it's about you and Hinata, coming together and tying the knot. That's what counts more than anything else."

"Uh-huh." Naruto took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So, anyway, Mom...how much longer before the festivities get underway? Is everyone ready?"

"All's well on that front," Kushina reported, some of her tension easing. "The guests are being ushered in, and the caterers are on hand for when the reception begins. It'll go smoothly, that I can guarantee."

"Speaking of caterers...shouldn't you ensure Choji doesn't try to sneak any food before the reception starts?" Shikamaru wondered aloud.

"...of _course_ I need to double-check that. Shikamaru, would you please come help me?" asked Kushina.

"Gah, like people can't behave themselves for a few hours during a wedding. What a hassle," Shikamaru grumbled, even as he stood up and left the room with Kushina.

Naruto turned toward the window, a thoughtful look coming over his face. "So..."

Sasuke clapped a hand on the blond man's shoulder. "You'll make it just fine, Naruto. Hinata's a good woman. And there's no doubt you'd go to every length and beyond to make her happy. Keep your cool."

In spite of himself, Naruto smiled. "You're really talking like the best man today, aren't you, Sasuke?"

"Hey, somebody has to give you the truth when it counts," Sasuke replied. "Such as the fact that Hinata's going to have to be the brains for both of you. My sympathies to her."

"I take it back! You're an absolute bastard!" Naruto snapped, the angry fangs back in his mouth.

 **OoOoO**

"This is Nohara Rin, reporting for Channel 3 News," the reporter whispered into her microphone as she stood just outside the church's side-entrance, looking right into the camera. "We're giving you live and exclusive start-to-finish coverage of a very significant moment in this country's history...on this day, in just a little while from now, Hyuga Hinata, the heiress to the illustrious mega-conglomerate Hyuga Corporation, will be exchanging her 'I dos' with Uzumaki Naruto, the former Kyuushingai who helped to stop the LOVE syndicate's assassination plot several years ago. Now, as I speak, more guests are arriving to bear witness to this occasion, and already this church—which has a seating capacity of 2000—is filled to the brim, so much so that makeshift tents have had to be erected on the outside with video feeds and audio systems set up to accommodate those guests seated outdoors."

 **OoOoO**

" _Now, while we're waiting for the ceremony to begin, let's provide you our viewers with a brief biography of the bride and groom,"_ Rin's coverage continued over the big-screen TV. _"First, the bride: as stated already, Hyuga Hinata is the heiress to the fortune of the Hyuga family and to the multi-tiered Hyuga Corporation. She's a past student of the Konoha High School in Konoha Town, was the valedictorian of her graduating class at Kumo City University, and is currently a highly sought-after youth motivational speaker and a talented concert pianist who's won several prestigious awards for her performances over the past three years—impressive feats at only 22 years of age."_

Kira Hachi leaned back on his bed, in his cell, while keeping his eyes on the wall-mounted TV just outside, and gave a small nod. "Still sharpening your steel, I see, Miss Hyuga."

 **OoOoO**

" _As for the groom, he's a figure both famous and infamous,"_ Rin went on. _"Uzumaki Naruto, as stated before, was previously one of the Nine Terrors, who were instrumental in the happenings of the 365 days' incident of several years ago. But while it made him a controversial figure when the truth of that identification came to light—from his own mouth as a guest on Maito Guy's popular radio talk show 'Words of the Mighty Guy,' no less—his polarizing status was eased following his role in stopping the terrorist actions of the LOVE syndicate and the Akatsuki group, bringing several criminals to justice in the process. A hero to some, a pariah to others, but however you look at him, he's no doubt an interesting figure."_

Yahiko, the former leader of Akatsuki, was watching the specially mounted TV from where he could see it from his cell's bunk-bed; seeing this segment of the broadcast, he narrowed his gaze. "Nice to see you moving up in life, Uzumaki," he growled.

 **OoOoO**

" _Oh—just a moment, folks, it seems the bridesmaids and groomsmen are just now getting into their prearranged positions! The main service is about to start!"_ Rin interrupted her own narrative. _"And—over there—there's the groom himself, just stepping into the church, accompanied by his best man, Uchiha Sasuke of Konoha Town's famous Uchiha Zaibatsu! Just a quick bit of trivia, Uzumaki-san has had rather close dealings with the Uchiha Zaibatsu over the years, besides being a long-time schoolmate of Uchiha-san—they both also attended Kumo City University, along with Hyuga-san—in fact, while attending there, the three of them actually claimed all three of the top spots at the end of their senior year's final exams!"_

Gaara, lying back on his cell's bed as he watched the broadcast, smirked. "Ah, yes…Hyuga Hinata copped first place, Uchiha Sasuke got second place by virtue of one point's difference, and Naruto came third by virtue of two points' difference behind the Uchiha…either Naruto was being deliberately lazy, or he's losing his touch," he remarked aloud.

 **OoOoO**

"The groomsmen and bridesmaids are all in their places now…" Rin looked over the respective members of the bridal party at the back of the church, the groomsmen standing on one side of the aisle and the bridesmaids standing on the other side. "There's Uchiha Sasuke, preparing to step forward…" and her cameraperson shifted the lens in the raven-haired man's direction even as he locked arms with a blnod woman sporting one ponytail over her brow and another at the back of her head; moments later the two marched up the aisle in time to the organ music playing just then. "And with him is the maid of honor, Yamanaka Ino, a longtime friend to both the bride and the groom. And for the musically inclined, at the moment the organ is being played by one of Konoha Town's stalwarts, Akimichi Choza, owner and operator of the local Akimichi Meats…he's also this church's regular organist, and had previously played at the wedding of Uchiha Itachi and Nii Yugito when it was held here a few years back."

The next bridal party pairing set off in sync up the aisle—a resolute-looking young man and a pink-haired young woman. "Next from the groomsmen and bridesmaids, we have two more of the couple's friends from school, Nara Shikamaru and Haruno Sakura. By way of information, Nara-san's family owns a deer farm on the edge of Konoha Town, and Haruno-san's father, Dr. Haruno Kizashi, is the chief surgeon at Konoha Town's local hospital."

Then the next pairing went up—a very stout and jolly-looking man and a dark-skinned woman with red hair. "Next are two more of their past schoolmates, Akimichi Choji and Komatsu Karui. Akimichi-san, as his name suggests, is the son of our resident organist, and Komatsu-san works as a music instructor at Konoha High School."

The last pairing, taking up the rear, consisted of a stoic-looking man who was inexplicably wearing sunglasses, and a woman with her hair done in twin buns. "And the last two are two more schoolmates, Aburame Shino and Tamura Tenten. Aburame-san's father, I am told, works for a telecommunications company that is a subsidiary of Hyuga Corporation, which means the Aburame family is already closely connected to the bride's family, and Tamura-san is a close associate of the bride's cousin, Hyuga Neji, who is also here at the ceremony…the Hyuga family should be seated up front, if we could just pain the camera that way to show them…"

The camera's angle was shifted slightly to the left, showing the members of the Hyuga family sitting in their reserved seats near the front. "Ah, yes, there's Hyuga Neji," Rin pointed out the brown-haired young man with the family's characteristic gray eyes. "He's sitting with the bride's younger sister, Hyuga Hanabi. There are also a few other members of the family seated with them, some of whom have come from out of town to witness today's event," she added, indicating a few other gray-eyed individuals sitting directly next to the two cousins.

A movement at the back of the church caught Rin's eye, and she swiveled to see what it was. "Ah, yes, and here we are now, folks—the arrival of the groom himself, Uzumaki Naruto!" she reported. "He's locked arms with his mother, Uzumaki Kushina, and they're heading up the aisle together…and I dare say, he's looking quite dapper in his gold tux, and she's looking exquisite in her peach dress."

By and by Naruto and Kushina reached the front of the church and were heading up the steps to the altar; right on cue, Choza struck the last few chords on the organ, and the notes echoed into stillness throughout the church. Then, as Kushina stepped back from Naruto, out came a tall figure in ministerial garb, a Bible in one hand. "Ooohhh…" Rin nodded. "Ladies and gentlemen, the minister is here, now, ready to officiate…and this is Pastor Han, who officiated at the wedding of Uchiha Itachi and Nii Yugito right here in this same church, as I earlier indicated. Hmm, it looks like Naruto's stepping forward to speak to the minister…since we're not close up, and they're not currently using their microphone, we don't know what they're saying, but it seems to be some kind of private conversation…"

 **OoOoO**

"Oi, Han," Naruto caught his fellow ex-Kyuushingai's attention as he stepped forward. "First you ministered at Yugito's wedding to Itachi…now you're going to officiate over me and Hinata tying the knot. You going for a Kyuushingai wedding hat-trick or something?" and he grinned.

Han grinned right back. "The day I get married, I'll be sure to let you know."

"You could accept invitations from Gaara or Kira if either of them looks to get married," Naruto suggested.

"That'll be the day." Han suddenly looked right past Naruto. "Speaking of which—look alive, son."

"Eh?" Naruto turned to look…and instantly became mesmerized. "…wow."

 **OoOoO**

The ever-famous chords of _Here Comes the Bride_ played rather loudly on Tsuchinoe's smart-phone as she took in the live-feed of the wedding, where at the moment a flower-girl was casting rose-petals along the walkway and the ring-bearer followed close behind her…and then the camera shifted back to the church's entrance. "Well, isn't this nice…Hyuga Hinata looks like such a perfect angel," Tsuchinoe commented.

Yoshida Sanjiro stepped over to her and looked over her shoulder as, on the phone's screen, the feed showed Hinata in her wedding dress, clutching her bouquet in one hand, her other arm linked in her father Hiashi's arm. The two slowly marched up the aisle, and behind them a blond-haired woman identified in the feed's caption as Nii Yugito held up the bride's gown-train while following after them. "Yeah, she's pretty cute," he admitted. "A real shame it won't last long…"

"Oi, stop watching that feed—you'll soon be up close and personal at the site," a gruff voice from behind held their attention…and they turned to see a very familiar teal-haired figure slipping on a pair of gloves.

"Indeed, Mizuki-kun," an elderly man standing not far away spoke up as he adjusted his glasses with one hand. "Then it'll be a wedding to remember…and a wedding to die for. Literally."

"You know, old man Mitokado, I'm still a little surprised you managed to get us all together like this—especially Mizuki over there, what with him having been in jail for a while," another man spoke up, he sporting long white hair and clad in a leather jacket. "Who'd you have to bribe to get the likes of the fake Kyuushingai involved in this, anyway?"

"Watch it, Kaguya Kimimaro," Mizuki growled at him. "At least _I've_ never squealed like a pig while being forced to watch the _Twilight_ saga."

"Those movies are a curse on movie-kind!" Kimimaro exploded, red in the face.

"Enough." Mitokado Homura waved his hand to quell the dispute. "To answer your question, Kaguya-kun, I secured Mizuki-san's assistance in this the same way I secured the assistance of all of you—through well-placed use of funds. A bribe here, a palm-greaser there, in the hands of people who I've made sure to verify don't have any particular tolerance for the Kyuushingai. I tell you truly, youngsters, money is the language of every being in this world."

"Don't go talking like it was all _your_ money, pops," another figure spoke up—this one sporting grisly-looking Glasgow scars. "I may have been in for life thanks to that bitch of a judge who presided over my sentencing, but Akatsuki still had a few good caches of funds squirreled away in safe places, and my guards just so happened to be sympathetic to the cause of erasing the Kyuushingai—helped that a couple of them lost a few buddies during the 365 days. All it took was to send word out to you, get you to do the legwork, and then it all got arranged for me to go missing from my cell at least for today…"

"And by the time anyone should notice that Kakuzu of the Akatsuki group isn't where he should be, you'll be back in prison like you never left," Mitokado finished. "They've had you in solitary confinement since your incarceration, no?"

"Yup—but unfortunately for them, that's made it all the easier for me to be able to slip out, even if it's just for today," said Kakuzu.

"It's one thing when the prison system has revolving doors that everyone knows about," and now Mizuki allowed himself a smile. "But when new ways out show up that even the system can't completely cover…"

"Can we have this discussion later and go kill these bastards now?" Tsuchinoe interrupted frostily.

"She's got a point. The longer we wait, the quicker the wedding will be over," Sanjiro noted.

"All right, all right." Mitokado nodded at Sanjiro. "Yoshida-kun, are the other members of your former Hall Monitors' Guild on hand?"

"Just give me a sec…" Sanjiro pulled out a cell-phone and speed-dialed a number, then held the phone up to his ear. "Yeah…bring the van around—it's go-time."

A few minutes passed…then the low noise of a van's engine came from around the hill behind them…and a moment later the vehicle emerged with one young man at the wheel, another in the passenger seat beside him, and two more riding in the back with something covered by a blue tarpaulin. "Bunzo, Yudachi, Urushi, Saisu—everything's ready, yeah?" Sanjiro addressed the four.

"We're good to go," Bunzo, at the wheel, gave him a thumbs-up.

"We're in the big leagues now!" Yudachi, beside him, laughed.

"Save that speech until _after_ Uzumaki Naruto and his pals are dead," Mizuki growled. "What's the plan?"

Mitokado turned to look in the direction of Konoha Town, a significant distance from their current position. "The church where the wedding is being held is that way," he pointed toward the outlying but still visible church steeple. "We go in, we slay all of them, and we flee. It's that simple. And with the weaponry that I sourced from Kakuzu-san's various hidden caches according to the instructions he gave, it'll be simpler."

Kakuzu walked up to the van and pulled up one corner of the tarpaulin—revealing numerous firearms stashed beneath it. "Here's how we'll do it," he said. "Me, Mizuki, Kimimaro and Tsuchinoe will drive in with the van and start the assault head-on. The rest of you, you'll be armed with smaller firearms that are easier to hide under your clothes; you'll follow after us from a distance and keep your eyes peeled for any of the wedding party. Bride, bridegroom, bridal party with bridesmaids and groomsmen—all of them are our targets. Since the four of us are already major criminals, we'll draw the bulk of the attention away from you guys so you can do the whole covert side of things. But the main objective is Uzumaki."

 _ **BLAM!**_

Without warning, one of the van's tires exploded with a sound like a cannon shot, causing all of them to jump. "What the…!" Mizuki roared.

"Sorry, folks, but I just can't allow you to go through with that plan of yours."

As one, they turned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice—but saw nobody. "Who's there?" Tsuchinoe demanded. "Show yourself!"

"It came from over there!" Kakuzu pointed toward a line of trees close by. "Grab guns from the van and start shooting!"

Bunzo and Yudachi jumped from out of the van's front, while Urushi and Saisu leaped from the back— _ **BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM!**_ —before all four fell to the ground, howling in pain as blood erupted from their arms and legs. "AAAGH! GAH! SHOT!" Saisu cried out, holding his bleeding thigh.

"Who else feels lucky?" the strange voice asked icily.

Sanjiro was already face-down on the ground, hands over his head. "Stop shooting!" he begged.

"Get up, you wuss!" Mizuki roared at him, pulling up his jacket to reveal a pistol hidden in his waistband— _ **BLAM!—**_ seconds before a bullet caught him right in the shoulder and he collapsed with a pained moan. "Argh…withdraw previous comment…"

"All right! All right! Stop! We give up!" Tsuchinoe screamed, dropping to her knees and putting her hands behind her head.

Kimimaro copied Tsuchinoe's action a second later. "Spare us, please, whoever you are!" he shouted.

"Cowards!" Kakuzu reached his hand under the tarpaulin and pulled out an Uzi, pointing it in the direction of the trees— _ **BLAM-BLAM!**_ —but one bullet knocked the weapon right out of his hand and another caught him on the thigh just dangerously close to his groin, and he collapsed with an anguished groan.

"Enough! Enough! You win! Just don't kill us!" Mitokado pleaded, copying Tsuchinoe and Kimimaro and dropping to his knees with his hands upraised. "Don't shoot us, please!"

"…oh, NOW you decide to act smart." Then the voice's owner finally stepped out from behind one of the trees…and it was revealed to be a blond man clad in a black tuxedo. "Although you weren't exactly smart in the first place, if you were really planning to shoot up my son's wedding."

"…your…son…?" Sanjiro slowly looked up…and just as slowly, all the blood drained from his face as he recognized the newcomer.

Mitokado was likewise wide-eyed. "I…I thought I recognized your voice…"

Mizuki, bleeding and in pain as he was, managed a glare. "You…you're that Kyuushingai brat's dad…?"

The man stepped forward till he was standing tall over Mizuki. "Yeah, that's right, I'm that Kyuushingai brat's dad," he answered as he reached down and yanked Mizuki's gun out of his waistband. "And I seem to recall that _you_ had him chained up in a warehouse and put a bad hurting on him. I haven't paid you back for that up to now, have I?" and he lifted one foot and stamped down hard on Mizuki's face, grinding the heel of his boot in the gangster's mouth.

"Mmrrph!" Mizuki cringed in extra pain.

"And you over here," the man continued, stepping away from Mizuki and over to Kakuzu, "your Akatsuki group also helped to torture my son. I need to pay you back for that, too." And with sudden violence he kicked Kakuzu in the crotch.

"GAH!" Kakuzu hollered.

"And as I seem to recall from what I've been told before, you," the man pointed his gun at Tsuchinoe, "tried on a previous occasion to kill my son in his own bed. You," pointing the gun at Sanjiro, "led your fellow failed abortions on a previous expedition to set my son's house on fire. You," pointing the gun at Kimimaro, "tried to shoot my son, and actually shot my _wife_ on a previous occasion before that."

Kimimaro was starting to tremble as that particular memory came back. "…mercy…"

"Oh, no, no, no, no mercy today. Not for you pavement-stains." The man stepped away and pointed his gun right at Mitokado's forehead. "And _you…_ you're really making a lie of the statement that with age comes wisdom…you just won't learn, will you, you decrepit waste of existence?"

The sweat trickling down Mitokado's face only amplified the terror in his eyes. "I don't want to die…"

"Oh—you really think I'm going to _kill_ you? No, no, no, no, no…if I'd wanted to kill you, you'd have been dead three minutes ago," the man countered. "No, you're all going to keep your lives, seeing as the Ministry of National Security is going to need evidence of the very obvious holes in their prison system that need immediate plugging. But in the interim, I'm not going to kill any of you…I'm going to do something far, far worse."

The vicious whisper in which the man was speaking, coupled with the slowly-widening grin and the positively _sadistic_ look in his eyes even as the rest of his face seemed to be inexplicably framed in shadow, did nothing to ease the criminals' growing terror.

"My name is Minato. You _will_ learn it. You _will_ remember it. And as of right now… _you are all going to learn exactly why you need to_ _ **STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY FAMILY."**_

 **OoOoO**

For some reason, Kushina felt a sudden chill creep up her spine, but she did her best not to let her sense of existential dread show on her face as she watched her son and her soon-to-be-daughter-in-law exchanging their vows.

All she knew, in that moment, was that, for some reason she couldn't place her finger on, she would absolutely NOT rap Minato over the head for missing Naruto's wedding when he should return from whatever assignment the government had seen fit to give him at such an inopportune time.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 29

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Moral of the story—don't ever piss off Minato, especially when it comes to his family.

For this Gaiden chapter, I drew inspiration from _X-Men,_ volume 2, number 30 to be specific—the issue that depicted the wedding of Scott and Jean. In that issue, Sabretooth was watching the wedding from a distance, planning to crash it, only to be brutally stopped by Wolverine, who'd also been watching from a distance.

And this depiction of the wedding of Naruto and Hinata in this fanfic universe isn't going to end with this chapter, oh no—it continues into the next Gaiden chapter!


	30. Nuptials, Part 2

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 30 – Nuptials, Part 2**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden chapter takes place in the same timeframe as the previous Gaiden chapter.)_

 _Here comes the bride…all dressed in white…_

Hyuga Hiashi mentally ran the lyrics of the famous wedding song through his mind as he went up the aisle with Hinata, their arms linked together in traditional father-giving-daughter-away style. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help the small smile that came to his lips; she didn't quite look the same as her mother Hiroko had when _they_ had gotten married, but Hinata had certainly inherited Hiroko's ability to look positively _angelic._ Some small part of Hiashi's consciousness wondered how he'd managed not to notice that in all these years; perhaps Hiroko's death had numbed his ability to discern such finer details, he wasn't sure.

As it was, Hinata was here, and she was clad in the manner he'd both hoped for and dreaded…about to be figuratively lost to him forever, now that she was about to join hands with the man whose name she'd chosen to take on as her own…

Hiashi looked forward to where Naruto was waiting with the minister Han, watching expectantly as the father and daughter made their way to the front of the church. In all honesty, Hiashi wasn't sure how he'd be able to adjust to the idea of this young man becoming his daughter's husband, and his son-in-law by extension; even years after he'd begun to warm to the idea of Hinata dating Naruto, Hiashi still had a few reservations—Naruto having been a Kyuushingai, Naruto's family not being on the same economic level and being as topsy-turvy as it was…

 _Never mind, Hiashi. He may not be the ideal spouse you had in mind for Hinata, but neither was Hiroko when you married her._

He almost laughed out loud at that memory. His marriage to Hiroko had been an arranged one, set up as a business transaction between his father and her parents; yet somehow, despite his not having held much affection for Hiroko in the early days of their courtship, had they not come close enough that they knew each other's deepest intimacies, close enough that she'd borne his two daughters? Hiroko had been calm, submissive, and yet possessing a quiet assertiveness that always managed to annoy his father, the elder Hyuga, who'd admittedly had something of a misogynistic streak while ostensibly respecting women enough to speak out against their outright abuse; perhaps it had been that assertiveness of hers that drew Hiashi to her over time, that prompted him to really treat his wife as her own person instead of as a means to an end as their parents had intended through the marriage.

For one moment, Hiashi wondered how Hiroko would react to the idea of Naruto being her son-in-law, if she'd been alive to witness this day. Maybe she'd say Hinata had inherited her assertiveness. Well, if so, it had developed in ways even Hiashi couldn't have foreseen.

At last they reached the steps leading to the altar. As Hinata was still wearing her veil, and it was Naruto's right to lift it up, Hiashi couldn't kiss his daughter on the cheek or forehead like he'd wanted; instead, he settled for resting his forehead on hers, and she, understanding the gesture, leaned into it.

"My daughter." It was all Hiashi could say, yet those two words carried so much weight and emotion.

"My father." Her trembling voice likewise bore the affection they didn't have time just then to bask in.

Hiashi stepped back from her, nodded, and then gently guided her toward Naruto, helping her up the first two steps before the blond groom took his bride's hand and guided her up the remaining two steps. The two men exchanged a brief look and a nod, and that was all they did and all they needed to do. Then Hiashi turned away and headed for the front bench in the congregation, which had been reserved for the Hyuga family and where Neji and Hanabi were now sitting and waiting expectantly for him to take his reserved space with them…and sitting near to them…

"Natsu…Ko…Iroha," Hiashi greeted them in a low tone.

Tokuma Natsu, Hiroko's sister, and her husband Tokuma Ko, along with his brother Tokuma Iroha, the Hyuga patriarch mentally recalled. They had never really been close to the Hyuga family, especially following Hiroko's death, and had always kept a respectful distance save for obligatory contact on birthdays and public holidays. A good chunk of that, Hiashi suspected, came from the fact that Natsu had never been particularly close to Hiroko to begin with; from what he recalled of past conversations with his late wife, the two sisters had drifted apart in their teens due to Natsu feeling that their parents preferred Hiroko over her, and that drift had only intensified due to Hiroko's connection to the illustrious Hyuga name through marriage. By contrast, Natsu had married Ko, a well-to-do salesman from Kusa Town who was friendly enough whenever the families came together, and from what Hiashi could tell the two were quite comfortable with each other and in their financial situation, given that Ko lived a middle-class lifestyle. Iroha, two years older than Ko, lived a quiet life as a librarian in Taki Town, and wasn't one for garish events like this; to his credit, though, any discomfort he may be feeling at the wedding's trappings was carefully masked, if only for Hinata's sake.

"So…that's the Kyuushingai kid, huh?" Ko remarked as Hiashi took his seat.

"Hinata really had better know what she's doing." Natsu had never been one to sugarcoat her opinions on the Nine Terrors since the 365 days happened.

"Hiashi-san…you've interacted with him. Is he really deserving of Hinata?" Iroha questioned.

Hiashi shrugged. "I didn't think so, at first…then he went out of his way to rescue Hanabi from those criminals who kidnapped her from school, at great personal risk to himself. I had to readjust my opinion of him after that."

"And what's your opinion of him now?" asked Ko.

"Disdainful of social mores…not given to high-society affairs unless absolutely necessary…more blue-collar than black-tie…" Hiashi closed his eyes. "Yet he makes Hinata happy. That's all I'll ask of him."

"Hmph." Natsu's eyes narrowed, and for a moment Hiashi couldn't help but think, looking at her, that were it not for the obviously different surnames, people would honestly have believed she, and her husband and brother-in-law by extension, were closer relatives of the Hyuga dynasty due to them also having gray eyes that could look quite stern if looked at in the right light.

"And if he makes Hinata cry?" Iroha quizzed.

Hiashi allowed himself to smirk. "He knows I have a fully-functional rifle in my custody at the mansion."

"…I can live with that." Ko likewise smirked.

 **OoOoO**

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining together in holy matrimony of Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuga Hinata. Marriage is a sacred institution that is not to be entered into lightly or casually, but reverently and as a demonstration of truth and fidelity in the sight of God and man…"

As Han went through the familiar speech for the benefit of the congregation, Naruto leaned his head slightly toward Hinata. "Oi, Hinata, something tells me your relatives aren't warming to me," he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"You say that because…?" Hinata whispered back.

"Your aunt looks like she wants to knife me in the neck and your uncles have suspicion all over their faces. I couldn't help seeing it on them while your dad was bringing you up the aisle," Naruto replied.

Hinata gave him a reassuring smile. "Give them time. It's not every day they attend a wedding where a family member's marrying someone who admitted to being a Kyuushingai, after all."

"And if they still don't like me after that?" asked Naruto.

Hinata gave him a side-eyed look and attached a very deliberate coquettish smirk to accompany it. "Then you remember that it's _me_ you're married to, not them, and that they'll have to go through _me_ if they want to get to you."

Naruto chuckled softly. "I'll hold you to that."

 **OoOoO**

"Do you, Uzumaki Naruto, take this woman, Hyuga Hinata, to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you pledge to give all of yourself only to her always, to love her, to cherish her, to protect her, to be her partner in all things, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer—as unlikely as 'poorer' is with her legacy," Han tacked on, drawing knowing chuckles from the congregation, "in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

Orochimaru and Tsunade, sitting together in the congregation, gave approving looks as Naruto stood tall and responded resolutely: "I will."

 **OoOoO**

"And do you, Hyuga Hinata, take this man, Uzumaki Naruto, to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you pledge to give all of yourself only to him always, to love him, to cherish him, to protect him—including from himself if need be," Han tacked on, and out of the corner of his eye he saw all the groomsmen snickering behind their hands, "to be his partner in all things, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

He couldn't help but smile as Hinata responded with all her confidence and then some: "I will."

 **OoOoO**

Itachi and Yugito, sitting together with Fugaku and Mikoto, clasped hands together and intertwined their fingers as they took in the next portion of the service. "They're so sweet together," Yugito whispered.

"That they are," Itachi replied.

Fugaku grinned. "This sure brings back memories, doesn't it?"

"Not really," said Mikoto. "I mean, you weren't quite as handsome at that age, but yet I still took pity on you and married you anyway."

"He-e-ey!" Fugaku hissed in comical exasperation.

"Oh, my poor, insecure hubby, calm down, I'm kidding," and Mikoto planted a placating peck on his cheek.

"Hey, shh-shh, they're about to do the rings part now," Itachi shushed his parents.

 **OoOoO**

"Hinata…" Naruto took up one of the rings from the ring-bearer's cushion and held it up. "You know I'm not good at making speeches when it comes to stuff like this, so I'll just get straight to the point. Basically…when we first met, I'm sure I was nothing like what you expected…I mean, I know I've been rough around the edges, not good at high-society living, loud sometimes, and just basically a dork…but even with that…even after all we've been through and all we've endured, you still made me want to do better, to _be_ better. I've upset you at times when I didn't mean to…but you kept giving me another chance to turn my mistakes around. You're a diamond in the rough, with patience like that…and I want you and everyone else to know that I'm going to take this diamond, polish it, and make it sparkle." He took her hand and carefully slid the ring on the third finger. "You'll always sparkle, now and forever, and I want to make sure of it no matter what. Today, this ring is a token of that pledge, and I want to be ever proud that you are the one wearing it for me."

Hinata took a moment to look at the ring on her finger; then she reached forward to the cushion and took up the other ring. "Naruto…when I first met you, I wasn't good at articulating my feelings; I wasn't sure of myself, always wanting to be sure of my place in this world…and then you came along, and suddenly I was inspired to pursue all of that and achieve all of that and more. I've sought to become a better woman since then, because you sparked that wish and desire in me to depart from what I was and claim what I could be. I've never felt like I had to pretend to be what I'm not, when I'm around you; I've never felt like I had to censor myself when communing with you. You've made it possible for me to see that there's more to life than what I always thought there was…and I want to explore whatever else is out there, the possibilities that exist, with you by my side. And so…" She took his hand and slid the ring on the third finger. "With this ring, I symbolize my desire to have you as my exploration partner, to go to greater heights together, to learn together, and to ever improve and develop in the midst of it all."

Before the couple, Han nodded. "The couple has pledged their vows; they have stated their oaths. By their own mouths, they have affirmed the commitment that they will from this day uphold and embark on, a commitment that shall be remain strong so long as they stand firm together, come what may. And so…"

He held up one hand. "By the power vested in me, I officially declare these two as husband and wife! I present to you…Uzumaki Naruto and Uzumaki Hinata!" He fixed a look on the couple. "Claim your bride! Claim your groom!"

 **OoOoO**

"YOSH! SO YOUTHFULLY VIBRANT!" Rock Lee erupted as, up there at the altar, Naruto took Hinata in his arms, dipped her slightly backwards, and planted a very passionate kiss on her lips.

"Woo-hoo! Awesome!" Mitarashi Anko whooped elsewhere in the church as, before everyone's eyes, Hinata wrapped one arm around Naruto's neck and returned the kiss with equal gusto.

Their cheers were mixed with the general chorus of applause and merriment as the couple, by their actions, affirmed before the world that they were now, indeed, husband and wife.

 **OoOoO**

A short while later…

"This reception's on in full swing, folks, and the level of festivity is possibly the greatest I've personally seen at any wedding in the last few years," Nohara Rin narrated her coverage of the event in front of the camera, her microphone in hand. "We're currently on the grounds of the Hyuga family's mansion, out in the backyard to be precise, and there are several couples dancing at this time…the bride and groom are leading the charge, as you can see…"

The camera panned over to where Rin was gesturing—and then Rin was suddenly grateful the camera wasn't currently focused on her, given how hard she herself was blushing at what she was seeing. "Ahem…and the bride and groom are getting rather, ah, _close_ in their dancing…uh, should we even show this on live TV?" she hissed.

 **OoOoO**

Hiashi's eyebrow twitched as he saw Naruto's hands holding Hinata in certain rather suggestive places while they moved in perfect sync to the rhythm of the Spanish tunes being played by the band. "Must…not…shoot…son-in-law…must…not…shoot…son-in-law…" he muttered fiercely.

 **OoOoO**

"CHOJI! LEAVE THE HORS D'OEUVRES ALONE OR SO HELP ME, I'LL TURN YOU INTO A SIEVE!"

"Oh, come on, Ino, there's plenty of food! What's the harm?"

"With _you,_ there's always harm when it comes to food! And—Suigetsu, what the hell are you trying to spike the punch with?"

"I'm not spiking anything, Yamanaka! I'm just…ah…looking to make the fuddy-duddies lighten up a little!"

"Give me that bottle!...oh sweet mercy, did you seriously try to put _Spanish fly_ in the drink?"

"What? Half the guest list here looks like they need to get laid anyway!"

"THAT'S NOT FOR YOU TO DECIDE, IDIOT!"

"Calm down, Ino; I mean, no harm, no foul, right? It's not like any actually went in the punch…right?"

"Choji, I am not about to take any chances—wait a minute, the bottle's already three-quarters empty!...Suigetsu, what else have you tried to contaminate?"

"Noooooo-thing—ACK!"

"If you value the ability to breathe, you will tell me what you actually managed to spike RIGHT NOW!"

"Oi, Ino, don't kill him! This is a wedding!"

"Excuse me, what's going on here? Yamanaka-san, why are you throttling Hozuki-kun?"

"Ah—Neji-san! Uh, no, no, we're just horsing around! Just a couple of friends lightening up for a party!"

"Crazy bitch…"

"What'd you say, Hozuki?"

"Oh, shut up and get your hands off me, Yamanaka!"

"Sigh…such a bizarre lot I'm associated with…"

"Ha! That's what happens when we have Naruto as the common denominator! By the way, Neji, that salad looks good with the ranch dressing! Where'd you get it?"

"The salad table's over there, Choji, and there's plenty of salad dressings to choose from. Feel free to help yourself—we're not in danger of running out of food any time soon."

"Told you so, Ino!"

"Shut up, fat boy."

"Oi, Neji, there you are! Come and dance with me, would you?"

"Ah, sure, Tenten—just give me a chance to finish this salad first. Have you eaten yet, by any chance?"

"None of the salad, yet…could I try some of yours? That dressing looks delicious!"

"All right, why not? Have a bite."

"Oh, what's this? The uptight Hyuga Neji sharing food with a girl? Maybe you guys will be next to tie the knot, eh?"

"Don't be rude, Hozuki-kun."

"Hmm…you know, Neji, the dressing tastes weird…how old is it?"

"Huh? Well, the cooks mixed it fresh from this morning, and it was on the fridge until the start of the reception. It shouldn't have spoiled already."

"You don't say…well…anyway, Neji, come on, let's walk and talk a little, and you can finish the salad, and then we can have fun together! Sorry to tear Neji away from you guys!"

"Oi, Tenten, wait—whoa!"

"…is Neji going to be okay? Tenten seemed a little aggressive there, all of a sudden."

"Oh, who cares, Choji? At least she'll loosen him up a little bit."

"Leave Neji alone, Suigetsu; he's fine as is."

"And are _you_ fine, Yamanaka? Because I seriously doubt that."

" _Watch it…"_

"Oh, geez, this is troublesome AND humiliating…"

"Hey, Shika, what's wrong? And…why are you hunched over like that? Are you sick?"

"Oh, hey, Choji, Ino, Suigetsu…um, this is a little embarrassing, would you mind not looking just now?"

"What's the matter, Nara, get a crick in your back?"

"Shut _up,_ Suigetsu! Hey, Shikamaru, do you need to throw up or something?"

"Uh, no, Ino…thing is…all of a sudden I just feel…ah, geez, you're already looking anyway, I might as well just stand straight so you can get an idea…"

"…you have GOT to be kidding me."

"Heh, heh, heh…better deal with that quick, Nara, before you get blue balls."

"Oi, Shikamaru, what the hell? Did some girl tease you and then leave you high and dry?"

"No, Choji, nothing like that…I just…well…I've been feeling really _randy_ for the last fifteen minutes, ever since I had some of that salad over there…I _thought_ the dressing tasted funny, but I didn't think it'd make me feel like _this_."

"The dress—SUIGETSU!"

"Ack! Let go of me, Yamanaka!"

"…he put the Spanish fly in the salad dressing, didn't he."

"Say what, Choji? Spanish fly? Geez, what a drag…"

"I swear, Suigetsu, when I get done with you—wait a minute. Wait a minute…Choji, which direction did Neji and Tenten get to?"

"Uh…I think they went inside the house…"

"Go find them now! Now! NOW!"

"All right, all right, I'm going, I'm going! Sheesh, already…c'mon, you two, where'd you get to? Oh, sorry, excuse me, pardon me, coming through—huh, not as many people inside as outside—hold on, what's that sound and why's it coming from inside this—"

"Yes, Neji, yes, yes, YES!"

"Hah…hah…hah…wow…Tenten, you…"

"Eh—EEK! Peeping Tom!"

"Choji-kun! Shut the door, damn it!"

"Sorry, sorry!" _SLAM!_ "Saw too much, saw too much, saw too much, saw too much…eh? Wait, who's in this corner around—"

"Oh, oh, oh…oh, Itachi, _yes,_ do more…"

"Huff, huff, huff…oh, Yugito, you're so good…"

"Whoa…!"

"Yeah, Itachi, give me more of that big—CHOJI!"

"Big Choji? What— _the hell, Choji-kun?"_

"…uh, did you guys eat the salad dressing too?"

"Salad dressing? Yugito, what is he—"

"NO, WE DIDN'T! AND GIVE US SOME PRIVACY, DUMB-ASS!"

"Right! Sorry!"

 **OoOoO**

"And so the reception's winding down," Rin reported as, just a little ways behind her, the silver limousine headed off down the road, with Naruto and Hinata waving to the well-wishers from the back window. "The new couple is heading off to enjoy their honeymoon, and the festivities here at Hyuga Mansion are drawing to a close. And so…this will be one of the most talked-about weddings for a long time to come, no doubt about it…and we want to say to all of you, our viewers, thank you for joining us in this all-day live broadcast. We'll continue to keep eyes on this couple, and we wish them all the best in their marriage and their future endeavors. Till next time, I'm Nohara Rin, for Channel 3 News."

She made a cutting motion with her free hand and lowered her microphone. "And that's a wrap," she declared, her voice sounding as tired as she felt. "Whew…what a day…put the equipment in the van, would you? I'm gonna take a seat for a few."

Leaving her camera crew behind, she headed for one of the folding-chairs that hadn't yet been taken up and sat down on it, reaching down with one hand and plucking off her high-heeled shoe. "Finally…my feet are killing me," she moaned as she massaged her foot.

"Taking a break at long last, are we, reporter-girl?"

Looking up, she saw Hatake Kakashi walking toward her, a plate of food in one hand and a cup in the other. "I saved you some of the foodstuffs," he declared. "Although for some reason some of my students wouldn't let me take any of the salad dressing—something about a 'salad scandal,' they said…"

"That's really nice of you, Kakashi. Thank you," said Rin, accepting the plate and cup and proceeding to partake of their contents.

Kakashi took another folding-chair from nearby and sat down on it, next to Rin. "Well…two of my students have formally tied the knot…I feel so proud of them," he said.

"I hope it works out." Rin nodded. "Naruto-kun's a really nice guy, and from all accounts Hinata-san is a nice girl. They should be a mighty good match, I think."

"The same thing a lot of folks here have been saying," said Kakashi.

"You know…" Rin paused to sip from her cup. "It's funny…when Nii Yugito got married, I caught the bouquet…and they said that meant I'd be the next one to get married…but here we are, and one of the bridesmaids from that wedding has gotten married before me…how funny is that?"

Kakashi eyed her with an amused smirk under his dust-mask. "Scared of becoming an old maid?"

"No!" Rin snapped. "I just hope that I'll get my turn soon, you know? I mean…" She looked to one side. "I'm not gonna make a big deal of it—people get married all the time, anyway, right? It's just a matter of when my turn will come…"

"Hmm." Kakashi looked off to one side for a moment. "Only time will tell for each of us, I guess."

"Yeah…maybe." Rin's eyes were slightly overshadowed as she continued eating.

Silence settled between them for a minute. Then Kakashi stood up. "Oi, Rin…"

"Yeah?" Rin looked up at him.

"You've been on the job all day, covering this wedding for the news. But you haven't really had a chance to _enjoy_ it, have you?" His hair was partially covering his brow. "So I was wondering…"

The next thing Rin knew, Kakashi was holding out a hand to her. "Care to have at least one dance before the day is over?"

"Eh?" Rin blinked rapidly. "A dance?"

"Yes. A dance. You. Dance with me. Enjoy even the smallest sliver of this day's festivity." Kakashi looked at her. "What do you say?"

Rin gave him a flat look. "With what music? The musicians have already packed up their instruments."

"So?" Kakashi cocked an eyebrow. "Don't be so conventional. Just make up music in your mind. It's not that hard. So…will you?"

"…oh, well, why not." Rin set aside the plate and cup, kicked off her remaining high-heel shoe, and stood up. "All right, Kakashi. Let's see how dancing without music works." She held out her hand to him.

Kakashi reached out and accepted her hand, drawing her in close, and carefully rested his left hand on her waist while placing his right hand on her left shoulder; she, in turn, placed her hands in the same positions on his torso. "Just follow my lead," he whispered into her ear.

Together, there on the lawn, they began to move…slowly at first…then picking up the pace ever so slightly…and maintaining that pace even as, unconsciously, Rin rested her cheek on Kakashi's shoulder. "I like this," she whispered.

She was sure she felt his hand-grips get a little more firm where they held her. "It's nice, isn't it?" he asked softly.

"…it is." It was all she needed to say.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 30

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: For that last bit between Kakashi and Rin, when they start dancing, I recommend you play the slow version of the _Naruto_ main theme while reading the sequence. Somehow…it makes the scene so much more powerful.

A bit of trivia concerning Ko, Natsu and Iroha—their surname, Tokuma, was actually the first name of another member of the Hyuga family in the original series, and in fact all of them were members of the Hyuga clan. For this story's universe, I made Natsu the biological sister to Hiroko, Hinata's mother, and Ko and Iroha are biological brothers, with none of them having any connection to the Hyuga name except as Hiashi's in-laws.

…yes, that whole sequence with the "Salad Scandal" was the funniest thing I've written to date.

All right—the Nuptials portion of the Gaiden chapters is now over! The next Gaiden chapter will feature a change of pace—watch out for it!


	31. Mist City Chronicles, Part 3

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 31 – Mist City Chronicles, Part 3**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden takes place one month before the start of the main plot in Chapter 1 of the main story.)_

"Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm…" Kimura Maki hummed to herself as she went up one aisle after another in the supermarket, picking up different items along the way…a box of spaghetti noodles from one shelf, a bottle of soy sauce from another shelf, a package of ground beef from a cold-storage fridge, and so on. She kept humming as, little by little, she got all the items on her shopping list, waltzed up to the cashier, paid for the groceries, and soon stepped out of the establishment with the heavy bag in her arms. "Too bad Mikoshi-nii-san's club activities kept him back after school…I could've really used his muscles to carry this bag," she sighed. "And too bad Auntie has to work the night shift tonight…oh, well, at least I can get a head-start on dinner so they can eat when they get in…"

So preoccupied was she with her own thoughts that she didn't notice five punks jumping out of a nearby car across the street and swiftly crossing toward her—until they were already close beside her. "Hey, sweetie, whatcha got in the bag? Enough to make dinner for all of us?" one thug leered at her.

"Um, no…" Maki immediately began increasing her pace.

To her growing distress, the five guys easily kept pace with her. "You know a guy named Mikoshi?" another of them demanded, putting his mouth right up to her cheek.

"I know lots of guys named Mikoshi," Maki replied cautiously.

"The one whose birth certificate says he's your brother," a third punk spat.

Maki didn't try to answer this time—she broke into a run, clutching the grocery bag to her chest. But she didn't get more than five steps before the five guys swiftly caught up to her, one grabbing her by her hair and another gripping her by the arm. "Aaaiiiee! Help!" she screamed.

"Come here!" another of the punks yelled, grabbing her other arm and yanking it forward.

The grocery bag got ripped from Maki's grip and landed on the sidewalk, its contents spilling into the gutter; but the thugs didn't even give the food items a second glance as they forced Maki to cross the street with them and to their vehicle. "Help me! Somebody help!" Maki screamed on top of her lungs.

But even as she screamed out, one look at the few passersby on the street-side and those few persons who'd elected to look out of the supermarket and the nearby stores told Maki that none of them would dare lift a finger to assist her, no matter how much the apologetic looks on their faces indicated they'd really wanted to. After all, this was Mist City, where trying to be a heroic bystander could get you killed more often than not; she'd seen enough local newscasts and passed enough scenes barred off by crime-scene tape to know that much on an intellectual level.

So she did the only other thing she could.

 _Kami-sama…help me…!_

 **OoOoO**

An hour later…

"Oi, Maki, I'm home!" Mikoshi called as he entered the house. "Hope I haven't kept you waiting long, club activities are just a little heated up with the upcoming holiday break and all…"

His attention was suddenly arrested by something on the floor—a brown envelope. "Hmm? Did somebody slide this under the door?" he wondered aloud as he bent down and picked it up. "But the mailbox is right outside on the wall…"

He carefully opened the envelope and took out its contents—and what he saw made his blood run cold.

Seconds later he was back out the door in a flash.

 **OoOoO**

"Whew…well, here I am again," Roshi Ajisai muttered as she approached the front gate to the place she now called home. "I'm guessing Mom's gonna work the night shift tonight…so I'll have to be the one to do dinner…eh?"

There on the front porch's welcome mat was an envelope, weighted down by a stone. "That's weird…" Ajisai hurried up the steps, bent down and picked up the envelope. "Hmm, doesn't feel particularly heavy…wonder what's inside?"

She opened it and took out its contents—and her eyes widened.

Seconds later she was running off the porch, toward the gate and back down the street.

 **OoOoO**

"I'm back!" Yamazaki Omoi shouted as he entered the apartment. "Hmph, typical…the old man's not here, probably gone out to get drunk again…eh?"

There on the floor just in front of him was an envelope. "What—did somebody slide this under the door?" he mumbled as he bent down and took it up. "Probably another debt-collector…who did Dad borrow money from this time without telling me? Damn old booze-head…"

He opened the envelope, took out its contents and took one look at them—and snarled at what he saw.

Seconds later he was rushing out of the apartment and back downstairs to the building's front entrance.

 **OoOoO**

The noise of old boxcar train-cars running along their tracks grew louder in Mikoshi's ears, the closer he got to his destination; but he paid it no mind. His thoughts ran repeatedly on what he'd seen in that envelope mere minutes before.

 _Maki._

A photo of his sister, tied to a chair, her clothes dirty and her hair disheveled; a message attached to it, written in bright red marker: _Train-yard. 6:00. No cops. Or you never see her again._

His blood was hot as he scaled the train-yard's perimeter fence and dropped down on the other side; then he stalked toward the area that he knew would mark the middle of the property. "Maki!" he yelled out.

"Oi, four-eyes!"

Mikoshi's head snapped around, just in time to see Ajisai running toward him. "Roshi-san? What're you doing here?" he demanded.

"Same reason you're here, I assume," said Ajisai. "I got a message with a picture of your sister…" and she held up a photo of Maki for Mikoshi to see.

"Bastards…I'm gonna kill them if they've hurt her!" Mikoshi snarled.

"Oi, you two, over here. Quick!"

They both spun at the familiar sound of Omoi's voice, and saw him inside one of the boxcars, beckoning to them. At once they hurried over and jumped inside to join him, slipping behind the boxcar's iron door—and not a moment too soon, for just then three thuggish punks came tramping into the area, with crowbars and heavy chains in hand. "I'm sure I heard something around here," one of the newcomers remarked loudly.

"Keep your eyes peeled! If they're here, they'd better not get away!" another snapped, and immediately the trio ran off.

Omoi's expression was grim. "So it _was_ a trap—just like I thought…" He glanced over at Mikoshi. "And your sister's the bait."

"Then you got a picture of Maki too?" Mikoshi glared at him.

"Along with instructions to be here by 6:00, without any cops present," Omoi confirmed.

"But who the hell would—" Ajisai began.

Omoi held up a finger. "Keep your voice down. I did a little scoping of the train-yard a while ago…saw all these suspicious-looking guys lurking around." His eyes narrowed. "Some of them were the same guys I was fighting when you two jumped in a few months back."

"Did you see Maki anywhere in your scoping?" Mikoshi hissed.

"Mmm-mmm," Omoi shook his head. "I'm guessing they have her somewhere else, and this place was pointed out just to bring us together in one spot so they can take revenge for the fight back then."

"So we'll just bust their heads before they bust ours—right?" said Ajisai.

"Don't be stupid, Roshi-san," Mikoshi said sternly. "They specifically called us out here to a place they know. They have the home field advantage, and probably the numbers too."

"And yet you rushed out without a plan the second you knew they had your sister," Omoi said dryly.

"I. Am not. In. The mood. To be lectured. By YOU." Mikoshi gave the other boy a withering look.

"All right, all right," Omoi said in a placating tone. "In any event, you ARE right—these guys are walking around a bit too comfortably like they know the place, which tells me this train-yard is their regular stomping ground, and there're more of them here than there were when we tangled with them last time. Even if all three of us work together, they'll outman and overpower us."

A glint of light flashed across the lenses of Mikoshi's glasses. "Then we'll take them down quickly and quietly, before they get a chance to use their numbers against us."

"Well, look at you, four-eyes, strategizing and everything," said Ajisai.

"This is Mist City we're in. Here, if you don't have a Plan D to back up Plans A, B and C, you're as good as dead," said Mikoshi.

Omoi looked directly at Ajisai. "Kimura's not a newbie to this city like you are, Roshi. I'd expect _him_ to know all that and not rush in blindly like y'all were set to do before."

"Yamazaki-kun." Mikoshi's voice was low and sounded strangled. "All this started in the first place because you got into a fight with these guys. Therefore, I'll only tell you one thing: if my sister is hurt in _any_ way, I will hold _you_ responsible. And you do not want me to hold you responsible. Am I clear?"

"Just chill, dude. We'll get her back," said Omoi.

" **Shirt. Button."** Mikoshi spoke in a vicious whisper.

Omoi gave the other boy a long look. "…I get it, man. All right? Sheesh."

Ajisai looked from one to the other of the two, wondering what "shirt button" could possibly refer to—but then she decided that was a mystery to be solved later. "Anyway, what's the plan now?"

"Sneak around, stay out of sight as much as possible, grab a few of these punks and interrogate them— _quietly_. Once we know where Maki's being held, we can plan further from there," said Mikoshi.

"And if something happens and we _have_ to do an open brawl?" Omoi cocked an eyebrow.

Mikoshi's eyes were hidden by the glare of light on his glasses. "For their sake, pray it doesn't happen."

 **OoOoO**

Numerous thugs were scattered throughout the train-yard, wielding weapons of blunt and sharp varieties. They were walking around in small groups of four or five, looking in every direction for any sign of the three punk kids who were supposed to be here for them to beat the hell out of.

"What time is it? They should be here any minute now, right?" one thug from a group of five demanded.

One of his companions checked his watch. "It's five minutes to six…they've still got a little time to show."

"And if they don't show?" another thug queried.

The fourth thug licked his lips. "Then we can always kill a little time with that schoolgirl…she looks like she's pretty ripe, too, you know?"

"Oh, yeah, like the tree's never been pruned," the fifth said with a leer.

Tight grips held onto the backs of two of their heads—CRACK!—and their skulls got bashed together, resulting in both dropping to the ground. The other three, hearing the noise, spun around—and one saw a flash of red pouncing on him with his throat caught in a crushing grip, while one of the other two felt a rocklike blow to his cheek and then felt his head connect hard with the ground, and the last felt the heel of a boot connect violently with the top of his head and his senses got disoriented seconds later.

The one with his throat in a crushing grip was now on his back, the red-haired cause of that pinning him down. "Where's the girl?" the redhead demanded.

"Bitch, kiss my—" but the thug's raspy comeback caught in his throat as he felt a heavy foot stomp down on his crotch. "Aaaack…!"

"If you want to be able to piss later, answer the question now," the four-eyed guy whose foot was on his crotch snarled, emphasizing his point by pressing his boot down a little harder and drawing a pained grunt from the thug. _"Where is she?"_

"You'd better answer quick, dude," a certain white-haired guy with dark skin appeared in the punk's vision at that moment. "I don't think Mr. Four-eyes over here is feeling too charitable right now, since y'all snatched his sister and all that."

In spite of his helpless position, though, the thug managed a sneer. "HERE! THEY'RE OVER HERE!" he yelled on top of his lungs.

 **OoOoO**

Four thugs, walking in between the train-cars together, stiffened as they heard a bellowing from the other side of the car on their right. "COME QUICK, THEY'RE OVER—UNGH!"

"Damn—they're over this side!" one of the quartet snarled.

"Let's get 'em!" another whooped.

"Over this side, you guys!" the third one hollered, while the fourth put his fingers to his mouth and unleashed an ear-piercing whistle.

 **OoOoO**

 _CRACK!_

Ajisai's fist slammed into the thug's jaw, and a second later he was out cold. "Bastard…!" she hissed.

"So much for that plan." Mikoshi looked disgusted.

"There they are! Don't let 'em get away!"

From one end of the train-car they were standing beside, several thugs emerged in one large group; at the same time, from the other end of the car, an even larger group converged. "So you three chumps showed up after all," one spat out. "That means you're all ready to die, right?"

"Hmph." Omoi cracked his knuckles. "Sure, we're ready to die…if you're ready to go ahead of us first."

"What was that?" another thug demanded.

"Oi, oi, don't get so cocky, you little snot!" a third yelled. "We outnumber you at least five to one!"

Ajisai stood up straight and flashed an annoyed look at the gangsters. "Your point?"

"You guys…I'm only going to ask you once." Mikoshi's eyes were hidden behind the glare of light on his glasses-lenses. "You kidnapped my sister to get us out here. Where is she?"

One punk, gripping a crowbar, shrugged carelessly. "Who knows…probably being sloppy seconds somewhere," he answered, triggering snickers from those nearest him.

"…oh, really." Mikoshi carefully removed his glasses with one hand, folded them up, and put them into his shirt pocket. "How interesting."

Ajisai cocked an eyebrow—Mikoshi's voice didn't have a hint of politeness in it. "Kimura…?"

"Enough talk—stomp them!" another punk screamed, and that triggered both groups of thugs to charge at the trio, sandwiching them where they stood.

"No way out except to fight it out now!" Omoi raised his fists and stared down the group coming directly toward him. "You guys better keep up!"

"That's my line to you!" Ajisai replied, standing beside him with her fists up as well. "Hey, Kimura…!"

" **Everybody dies."**

For one moment Ajisai wasn't sure the voice she'd heard had actually belonged to Mikoshi. She turned to look—and was rewarded with the sight of the brown-haired boy charging at the other group of punks coming from the opposite direction, shoving his fingers into the eyes of the closest one he could reach, and that one punk hollering bloody murder seconds later as he dropped the switchblade he'd been wielding and held both hands to his suddenly blood-washed face. The switchblade was still in midair—Mikoshi grabbed it by its handle and swung forward, the blade impaling another thug straight under his jaw; yet Mikoshi didn't stop there, but yanked the knife out with violence, shoved it into a third punk's ribcage, yanked it out yet again and slashed a fourth across his face…

"Roshi, watch it!"

Omoi's warning caught her ear, and she turned just in time to see the other group of punks already upon them, with one preparing to swing an iron pipe at her head. Ajisai reacted swiftly, ducking down to avoid the pipe and sending a fist flying up into the assailant's jaw; the guy got knocked off-balance and fell flat on his back in turn. Ajisai immediately reached down and yanked the pipe out of the guy's grip, swatted him hard over the skull with it, and then thrust the end of the pipe into another punk's stomach, stopping his intended charge right there and leaving him coughing and gasping on the ground.

Omoi was already fighting hard against the thugs trying to box him in, sending crushing punches into one jaw after another. Three gangsters fell down from this onslaught with loud groans; a fourth, rushing in to attack, instead found his jaw catching the full force of Omoi's heel as the white-haired youth spun in a roundhouse kick to the guy's face, and he went down with a crash to the ground. Wasting no time, Omoi grabbed yet another thug by his hair and shoved the guy's head downward, at the same time bringing his own knee up to meet the guy's chin; a moment later the guy fell down, insensate, even as Omoi held up his arm to block someone else's oncoming punch and countered with an uppercut of his own.

Ajisai, still clutching the pipe she'd snagged, found herself surrounded by seven thugs, all eyeing her with equal parts wariness and lecherousness. Her eyes shifted around quickly, noting each one's position relative to her own stance. Then one of those on her left charged at her—she responded by swinging the pipe up like a golf club, whacking him clear in the balls and leaving him a crumpled and groaning mess on the ground seconds later. Two more were charging her from opposite sides, one swinging a baseball bat down at her head; she blocked the bat with her pipe, then stood on one foot and lashed out with her other heel at the other attacker's kneecap, kicking his knee out of joint and eliciting a howl of pain in return. Then, turning her attention back to the one whose bat she'd blocked, Ajisai thrust her knee right into his crotch, forcing him to double over before she tapped him hard on the head with the pipe and dropped him on the spot.

Without missing a beat, Ajisai spun and flung the pipe right at the face of one of the remaining four who'd surrounded her; it slapped him right between the eyes, knocking him out right there and then. Observing that one of the other three was closing in on her, Ajisai jumped, spun, and kicked him in the head, knocking him down to the ground; then she rushed toward one of the other two, dived headfirst in between his charging legs, flipped herself so she was on her back, quickly jumped to her feet, and jumped up so she was standing on the guy's back—and he only had a second to be surprised before she slammed her heels into his shoulder, forcing him to the ground in that instant. The one remaining punk, meanwhile, grabbed up the baseball bat his crony had dropped a moment earlier and turned to face Ajisai…she, in turn, grabbed up a rock and pitched it hard at his midsection.

"Ooohh…!" the guy groaned as he felt sharp pain in his rib from where the rock had hit him…then he felt Ajisai's kick to the head, and his senses took leave of him moments later.

" _Aaaaiiiyyyaaaa!"_

Pausing to take a breather from her exertion, Ajisai turned in the direction of the scream…and her eyes widened. "Kimura…!"

 **OoOoO**

Blood. Pain. Rage.

Weakness. Helplessness.

Mikoshi knew these too intimately.

"' _ey, bitch, what'd I say about talkin' back to me?" WHAP!_

That was his father's response for his mother trying to explain why dinner was lukewarm instead of stove-ready hot like it should be.

" _Givin' out your crotch to some other guy like the little slut you are, aren't you?" CRACK!_

His mother nursed a broken jaw for two months after yet another night of his father's jealousy over a random passing stranger giving a casual smile and wave while jogging past the house.

" _Nii-san…nii-san…"_

" _I'm here, Maki. I'll keep you safe. I'll always keep you safe."_

Nine years old, too young to be bearing burdens such as this, yet there he was, in the bedroom he shared with Maki, comforting her like the big brother he needed to be while policemen herded their father out of the house in handcuffs and paramedics zipped up their mother's still form inside a big black bag.

Six years later, he'd failed to keep that promise.

 _Probably being sloppy seconds somewhere…sloppy seconds…sloppy seconds…_

Mist City's bleakness notwithstanding, he'd held out some hope, some tiny hope, that even if he himself couldn't make it out of the city's damned condemnation, at least Maki could do it, for herself and for both of them. Perky in attitude to the point of annoyance at times, yes, but he wouldn't have had her any other way, lest she wouldn't have been his sister.

And he had failed her.

 _Sloppy seconds…_

The next few moments after hearing those damned words dripping out of that damned punk's mouth like the slime it'd been…

"Who wants pain?"

He asked the question with a demented grin and eyes bloodshot from the high-pressure energy coursing through him, even as the thug whose arm he'd snapped at the elbow shrieked in combined anguish and terror. The other thugs in front of him weren't quite so confident now; their expressions testified to nothing less than sheer pants-wetting _panic._

"…who the hell _is_ this guy?" one dared to whisper.

Mikoshi's gaze shifted to the one who'd spoken, and he pointed straight at the guy. Yes…Mikoshi remembered clearly…this was the one who'd spoken _those damn words about Maki._ "You. You want pain."

The targeted thug couldn't turn any paler if he tried. "Wh-wh-what're you guys waiting for? Go get him!" he screamed at his companions.

Two of the others, gripping their baseball bats, rushed at Mikoshi—he, in turn, shot forward with one fist and slammed one in the mouth, knocking out a tooth in the process, and then gave the other a solid kick in the gut, dropping him on the spot. Grabbing up one of their bats, Mikoshi charged at the four standing still in front of him; they, in turn, were too petrified by terror to do anything as he smashed the bat against the side of one's head, stunning him even as he fell to the ground. Mikoshi then jumped and spun, kicking another thug in the face and breaking his nose; landing on his feet, he swung his arm around and caught the third one right in the throat, resulting in the guy choking and coughing in a desperate bid to salvage his crushed windpipe.

Mikoshi spun to face the one remaining punk. "You're _my_ sloppy seconds now, **bitch."**

The thug was hyperventilating. "S-screw you, man!" he yelled, yanking a knife from out of his belt and lunging forward with it in a stabbing motion—in return, Mikoshi shifted so he was just inside the guy's arm-thrust, dodging the knife altogether, and he shoved a palm into the guy's throat, sending him to the ground a second later. The thug choked and gasped as his air supply got abruptly cut off from the force of the shove to his throat— **WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP!** —then numerous heavy blows rained down on his face as Mikoshi hammered him with increasingly bloody fists.

" _Yamete! Yamete! YAMETE!"_

Two arms grabbed him from behind; desperately holding him as he automatically struggled. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" the voice shrieked over and over.

The red haze in his vision didn't disappear immediately…it did, however, thin just a slight fraction, enough so as to coincide with the subsiding pounding in his ears. "…Roshi-san…?" his voice sounded strained.

"Please…for Maki's sake…please stop…" Ajisai's voice was broken. "Enough."

Mikoshi's arms trembled…and then, abruptly, he went limp, leaning back into Ajisai's arms. "Ma…ki…" and there was barely any sound coming out of his mouth now.

Ajisai didn't let him go. "We'll get Maki back. She's going to be okay. She's going to be okay."

The adrenaline completely seeped out of Mikoshi's bones, and he relaxed a little more, barely noting out of the corner of his eye that Omoi was now dragging aside the punk he'd been pulverizing seconds before, appeared to be interrogating him…and then Omoi stepped over to them again. "They put her in a green train-car in the middle of the yard," Omoi announced.

"Then let's go get her," said Ajisai. "Oi, Kimura…let's fetch your annoying sister, eh?"

 **OoOoO**

The glare of light from outside stung Maki's eyes as the train-car's shutter noisily slid open, abruptly letting the light in. "Agh…!" She automatically turned her face away from the glare; she would have put up her arms to shield her eyes, but the fact that her hands were tied behind her prevented her from doing so.

"Maki…"

"…nii-san?" She slowly turned her face back toward the entrance, her eyes gradually adjusting to the change from the darkness she'd been locked in. "…what…"

Outside was her brother, looking very roughed up and sporting a haunted expression on his face; beside him were Ajisai, looking quite winded but triumphant, and Omoi, looking as aloof as ever even as he jumped in and hurried over to her. In a moment her bonds were undone, and Maki took a moment to rub her chafed wrists while standing up and walking over to the entrance, before jumping out to the ground outside. "You…you guys…" she started.

"Maki." Mikoshi looked more worn than she could remember ever seeing him. "Did they hurt you?"

"Mmm-mmm." Maki shook her head. "Nii-san…you came…you really came."

"…heh." A small smile cracked through the worn expression. "I promised you I'd keep you safe, didn't I?"

She looked at him for a long moment…and then she stepped up to him and flung her arms around his neck, holding him tightly with no intention of letting go. Seeing this, Omoi rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Oi, oi…mind saving the mushy stuff for _after_ we get out of here? Y'know, in case those bastards get back enough strength to try attacking us again."

"…right." Mikoshi nodded. "C'mon…let's go home, everybody."

 **OoOoO**

From a rooftop not far away from the train-yard, three teenagers—a boy sporting wavy pale-blue hair, another boy with short reddish-brown hair, and a girl with long dark-green hair—watched as the four individuals hurried away from the trains, stepping around and past the still-downed gangsters in the process. "Now here's a show you don't get to see every day…a bunch of regular school-kids fighting off a couple of street punks," said the blue-haired youth.

"I recognize the uniforms…they're from Mist City High, right?" the girl asked, tucking a section of her hair back behind one ear. "They fight pretty well…especially that one that had to be held back at the end by the girl. Do you think maybe he'd be a good contender?"

"I'm more interested in the other guy," the second boy declared stoutly. "I'm pretty sure he was Yamazaki Omoi…I've been itching to rumble with that guy for a while now. Although I always thought he was more of a lone wolf type of character…"

"Circumstances tend to do strange things to people, Ryota," the first boy remarked.

"So what should we do now, Junichi?" the girl asked him.

"For now, Hanare…we find out everything we can about those guys. Let's not just jump to conclusions based on initial assumptions," Junichi answered. "We'll know soon enough if they're truly worthy enough to merit us pitting our skills against them…in the Zenkusen."

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 31

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: And so ends another Gaiden concerning the Mist City Trio (i.e. Mikoshi, Omoi and Ajisai), with the main focus this time being on Mikoshi and his protectiveness of his sister Maki. But as it turns out, they're being watched by three mystery individuals…who are they and what do they hope to gain from watching the trio? And what is the "Zenkusen" of which Junichi has spoken?

For this Gaiden, I drew inspiration from the first _Final Fight_ game, only the good guys don't go on a citywide chase to get the girl back; instead, it's confined to one area and is resolved in much shorter order. I was also going to include the trio at the end as "bosses" for the Mist City Trio to fight, but that'll be put off for a later Gaiden.

As for the mystery trio…Junichi is basically the Human Path of Pain back prior to Nagato claiming his body, and he's been given the name Junichi for the purposes of this story; ditto for Ryota, who was the basis for the Preta Path in canon and has been given his own name for this story; and Hanare, who was actually named that in canon, was a filler kunoichi and love interest for Kakashi.

Now…next Gaiden, I'll be bringing back a previously-shown villain in a way you'll not expect! Stay tuned!


	32. Reckoning, Part 1

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 32 – Reckoning, Part 1**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden takes place a day after the twenty-first Gaiden, shortly after the end of the Parliament incident in the main story's final arc.)_

Tuesday, August 1, at the Whirl City Police Department headquarters.

Chief Kaiza, the head of the local police division, sat on a chair in the middle of the room where he'd been summoned for this morning's meeting, and in front of him was a large meeting-table where four older persons, all clad in suits, were seated while scrutinizing him. "Thank you for coming to meet with us, Kaiza-kun," one of the four addressed him.

"Yes." Chief Kaiza nodded once.

"Let's skip the pleasantries and get right down to the meat of the matter, shall we?" the second suited person said gruffly. "We have other issues we need to deal with."

Chief Kaiza made no response to that—not out loud, anyway. _Good…at least we won't have to put on any pretense that we'll all be buddies drinking coffee together after all's said and done._

"We all know why we're here today—it concerns the incident with the LOVE syndicate and the Star-Boys gang last month, on the mainland," the third suit took up the summary. "But the reason we've called you here, Kaiza-kun, is because of some information that some of the Star-Boys members shared with us through their lawyers…information that has us, shall we say, deeply concerned."

"Basically, according to their story, you were complicit with them in an attempted murder plot," the fourth suit spoke up. "The attempted murder of Uzumaki Naruto."

Chief Kaiza said nothing, but his gaze was dark and narrow.

"We are well aware of the circumstances behind what happened, Kaiza-kun," Suit One spoke up again. "They kidnapped your daughter and gave you instructions to comply with in exchange for her return. And you complied with those instructions, at least to a point."

"But in giving that compliance, you have called your own credibility as the chief of the Whirl City police into question," Suit Two said flatly. "At no time is any member of the police force supposed to make deals or bargains with criminals and terrorists. By doing so, and in the manner in which you did, you have tarnished the integrity of the office you were entrusted with."

"However, we in Internal Affairs are not unreasonable," said Suit Three. "We're bearing in mind your years of dedicated service in the force up to this time, and because of that service you have given, we've elected to keep this matter out of the public eye. And your situation is likely to win the sympathy of everyone here in Whirl City, particularly considering your…previous loss."

Chief Kaiza's brow creased a little further at that.

"We want to give you an opportunity to speak for yourself in this matter, Kaiza-kun," said Suit Four. "If you can provide us with an explanation to mitigate your situation…"

"What's the point of me even trying?" Chief Kaiza cut in suddenly. "Those Star-Boys are pretty much throwing my ass in the fire in order to drag me down with them as they get sent to prison for their crimes. Concerning that particular incident, their version of events is going to paint me in the public eye as a vengeful cop who was looking for a convenient excuse to kill Uzumaki Naruto because he happened to have confessed to being one of the Nine Terrors whose antics resulted in the death of my wife during the 365 days. Police Chief Kaiza, a grieving widower, out to kill the Terrors so as to avenge his wife's murder. That's how I'm going to be portrayed no matter what I say here right now. So why don't we just cut this crappy song-and-dance and get right to the part where you crucify me so as to make an example out of me for the rest of the cops in the department anyway?"

There was silence for several long seconds. Then Suit One leaned forward, the fingers of both hands intertwining on the top of the table. "Need we remind you, Kaiza-kun, that you were not the only one here in Whirl City to have lost friends and loved ones during the 365 days' violence?"

"That's right, Kaiza-kun," Suit Two drawled. "Everybody here in this room, and in this city by extension, has lost somebody or otherwise been negatively affected because of the Kyuushingai. The difference between us and you, is that _we_ put our responsibility as officers of the law before our personal feelings."

"Concerning Uzumaki Naruto in particular, yes, it was a shock to learn that he was in fact one of the Kyuushingai, especially given the situation where he'd been involved in that fight with the Star-Boys while he was a student at Uzushio High School," Suit Three put in. "But what the Star-Boys asked you to do, and what you went ahead and complied with, wasn't an act of bringing a Kyuushingai in to face the legal justice system. It wasn't even an act of self-defense."

"It was a premeditated act of attempted murder," Suit Four added. "It was not a case where Uzumaki Naruto attacked you unprovoked and you were prompted to protect your person. It was a case where you actively sought his life first. That is no better than the behavior exhibited by the Akatsuki terrorists, who've declared that their actions were done in the name of revenge against the Kyuushingai."

Chief Kaiza could feel his irritation growing, but he took a deep breath to keep himself composed. "Was I supposed to just leave my daughter in the Star-Boys' hands for them to do anything they wanted to her?" he asked. "How exactly was I supposed to have responded? What would _you_ people have done?"

Suit Two's response was quick and sharp: _"The right thing."_

"What? To follow procedure? To inform the department?" Heat was slipping into Chief Kaiza's tone. "And what would have happened if those punks killed my only child because I didn't abide by their demands?"

"Then they would have been guilty of murder in the eyes of the law," Suit Four pointed out.

Kaiza lost his patience. "You're only saying that because Hokuto isn't _your_ child!" he exploded.

"That is true. Kaiza Hokuto isn't related to any of us. But we _did_ peruse her statement that she submitted in the wake of the incident." Suit Three's tone was calm. "And we made sure to read the entire statement from start to finish. And of everything she said in it, there's one particular element which we would bring to your attention now: exactly whose fault was it that she was put in a situation where the Star-Boys gangsters would have abducted her to begin with?"

Memories flashed across Kaiza's mental vision—the confrontation in the kitchen, the harsh words exchanged, the slap he gave and the punch she returned, the "I hate you" that dropped from her lips— "Don't you _dare_ go there. Don't go blaming this on me. I love my daughter!"

Suit One's response was full of frost. "But you hate the Kyuushingai more."

"That's not true!" Kaiza protested.

"Then answer this one question." Suit Four's expression was utterly no-nonsense. "If your daughter was a Kyuushingai, what would you do?"

"She isn't, and you know it!" Kaiza snarled.

"But what if she _was?"_ Suit Four returned. "If your daughter was a Kyuushingai, _what—would—you—do?"_

Kaiza gritted his teeth, his hands grabbing and clutching the armrests of his chair, his eyes narrowed and his brow tightly furrowed…and there was no answer from him.

"…that's what we thought." Suit Two sounded almost smug.

"As it stands, Kaiza-kun, the fact that you made such a decision cannot be overlooked," Suit Three spoke again. "Still, we _are_ taking into account your years of service to the department, and that this is the first major infraction you've been cited with. Therefore, the department has come to this conclusion…"

Kaiza said nothing, but fixed the panel of four with a stony glare.

"We are recommending that you are to be suspended for one month without pay, starting today," Suit Three went on. "Your acting replacement has already been appointed to handle your usual responsibilities in your absence. Please hand over your badge and your gun."

Slowly, Kaiza got up from his chair and stepped toward the table. As the four suits looked on, he unbuttoned his coat, revealing his gun-holster, and he unbuckled that and set it none-too-gently on the table, then unclipped his badge from its place on his belt and slapped that down too.

"I have served this department for twenty-seven years." Kaiza's voice was tight. "And ever since the 365 days took place, I have worked tirelessly to ensure that such atrocities, including what I myself endured, will _never_ happen within this city's borders again. And now you punish me for taking the best course of action I had available to me under the worst of circumstances, while that government-backed thug—the whole reason I am here now—walks free and is hailed as a hero, after having contributed to Whirl City's trauma twice over in the last three years. There is no way in hell such a decision is fair, just or right. You'd just better pray the day never comes that you have to hear me say 'I told you so.'"

He turned and stomped out of the room. "Idiots," he growled out as he yanked the door open, stepped through the doorway, and slammed the door shut behind him.

The four suits looked at the recently slammed door. Then Suit One glanced over at the others. "Do you suppose he'll go out and do something rash?"

"Like what—seeking out Uzumaki Naruto and taking his life?" Suit Two replied.

"We need to be honest—every one of us wanted to wring the kid's neck after he avoided prosecution for his involvement in that gang-fight at Uzushio High, and that was _before_ anybody knew he was one of the Terrors," said Suit Three. "Yet we didn't because too many witnesses, including Kaiza Hokuto herself, gave statements indicating that the Star-Boys were the aggressors in that incident. To go against proper law enforcement protocol in the face of that, it would have been nothing short of disrespectful to our badges."

Suit Four sighed. "In light of that…what, really, would have been the right thing to do if we had been in Kaiza-kun's shoes last month?"

"There's no point in making suppositions about what could be or what might have been. What's important is what _is,_ here and now, and the outcome and consequence of what _has been,"_ Suit Two said firmly. "If Kaiza-kun is allowed to go unpunished for agreeing to the demands of criminals, it sets a bad precedent for law enforcement—it tells our police force that Whirl City's hierarchy will roll over when the pressure gets to be too much, and it tells criminals they can push us around any way and any time they want. As the vanguards of order in this city, we will not allow ourselves or those we serve to be seen as weak or as pushovers ever again…and to paraphrase the longtime saying, if Kaiza-kun can't stand the heat…"

"If he can't…" Suit One looked grim. "…then Whirl City's loss will be greater than during the 365 days."

 **OoOoO**

Kaiza stalked along the corridor toward the precinct's front entrance, keeping his gaze focused straight ahead and not looking at another soul in the vicinity. His scowl stayed in place even as the various cops at their desks and walking through the squad room paused their interactions and paperwork to give their chief curious looks; it stayed there as he headed out the door and to his car; it stayed in place as, minutes later, he drove along the roadway and in the direction of his home, mechanically obeying traffic lights and road-signs as needed; it stayed in place as, in what seemed no time, he pulled up outside the house.

Soon he was entering the front door, slipping his shoes off out of ingrained habit. "I'm home," he grunted.

"Hey, Dad," Hokuto's voice came from the kitchen. "Lunch will soon be ready. Salmon and egg donburi."

The rice dish, topped with a salmon and egg mixture flavored with chopped green onion and soy sauce, wasn't Kaiza's favorite dish of all time, but he didn't hate it either. It _had_ always been Hokuto's mother's favorite, before she…he forced the unwelcome memory of _the crime scene tape outside his own front door_ out of his mind and sat down at the table, waiting patiently for Hokuto to come with the food.

By the time she came out with two plates in hand, Kaiza had managed to work the expression on his face to something resembling indifferent stoicism. "Itadakimasu," he announced as he picked up his chopsticks and proceeded to take a mouthful of the dish. "Hmm. A little heavy on the onion, but not bad otherwise."

"Thanks," Hokuto said simply as she busied herself with eating.

Even with all that had recently happened with Hokuto's kidnapping by the Star-Boys gang, the relationship between father and daughter was still fairly strained. Granted, the tightness that seemed to have bound them both prior to that incident had loosened a little, but the imaginary noose was still circling them. That Hokuto had decided to cook something for both of them instead of simply getting lunch for herself, Kaiza took as a small gain in bridging the rift that had come between them.

The silence that rested over the dining area as they ate, however, was there like a long-term tenant.

"You're in trouble at the precinct, aren't you?"

Until Hokuto broke the silence with a statement that testified to her perceptiveness.

"What makes you say that?" Kaiza asked, trying not to sound gruff but still sounding gruff anyway.

"Usually you call to let me know when you'll be coming home, just so you can be sure of where I'll be at that point in time. No phone call from you today, though," Hokuto pointed out. "Plus, you never come home before 6:00 in the evening; right now, it's just a quarter to noon."

Kaiza eyed Hokuto for a moment. Then he decided to take the bull by the horns. "Internal Affairs called me in, concerning…everything that happened."

Hokuto returned his gaze—she knew he meant her kidnapping. "…they suspended you, didn't they?"

"For a month."

Her gaze did not falter. "Because you went ahead with the Star-Boys' demand that you should kill Naruto in exchange for them freeing me, right?"

"…yes."

Silence reigned again, save for the occasional clinking of their chopsticks on the sides of their dishes as they resumed eating. Hokuto's expression was poker-faced as she ate; Kaiza couldn't tell from her look what she must be thinking, whether of him or of the wider situation.

He looked down into his gradually emptying dish. Yes, the meal was heavy on the onion—Hokuto had always liked onions, he knew that—but the dish was good. At the very least, he was sure, Hokuto would be able to take care of herself as needed, once she went out into the world on her own.

Take care of…

 **OoOoO**

 _Kaiza looked right at Naruto's back. "I spared your life tonight. In turn, you brought me back my daughter. Now we're even."_

"… _yeah. We are." Naruto nodded. "Take care of your old man, Hokuto."_

 **OoOoO**

 _She didn't have this kind of consideration before now…yet here she was, cooking for two…because…_

It took every ounce of self-control for Kaiza not to grip the chopsticks any tighter. _Uzumaki Naruto…you…_

"I'm going to take the ferry to the mainland this afternoon," he spoke up abruptly. "Maybe some time away from Whirl City will help me to figure things out."

Hokuto blinked—obviously she hadn't expected _that_ announcement. "Where are you going?"

"I'm thinking to take a little trip to Yu City," said Kaiza. "An old friend of mine from my police academy days lives there—Oishi Taiseki. You remember him, don't you? He used to visit us here sometimes."

"Oh—him? Yeah, I remember him…he'd give me piggyback rides when I was five." The faintest hint of a smile appeared on Hokuto's mouth before vanishing again. "So you're going to see him, then?"

"Yeah. I think a change of scenery would do me some good." Kaiza nodded. "But I'd rather you didn't stay here alone while I'm gone…just to be on the safe side. After what happened and all."

Hokuto could tell that subject would not be up for debate, judging from the look in his eyes. All the same, she figured she could and should at least have a bit of a say in the matter. "My homeroom teacher at school, Tsubaki-sensei…I could chill at her place till you get back."

Kaiza nodded; he'd met Tsubaki-sensei at several parent-teacher conferences on past occasions, and she and Hokuto had always spoke glowingly of each other in separate conversations with him. He knew, too, that like many people in Whirl City, Tsubaki-sensei held no love in her heart for the Nine Terrors; perhaps spending some time close to her would disabuse Hokuto of any affection she might have toward Naruto. "That sounds reasonable. Why don't you call ahead and ask if you can stay with her?"

"Sure…when I'm done eating," said Hokuto. "How long do you think you'll be gone for?"

"I should be back in a day or two," Kaiza replied. "By then I'll have a better idea how the rest of this month will go till I come off this suspension."

"Right…" Hokuto refocused her attention on her food.

 **OoOoO**

 _Riiiiiing! Riiiiing! Riiiiing!_

"Coming, coming!" the woman's voice came from the bathroom as the telephone rang on the nightstand next to the bed. "Oy vey, talk about timing…"

 _Riiiing! Riiiiing! Riiiiing!_

The half-open bathroom door flew completely open, and out the woman rushed, her brown hair still dripping wet as she hurriedly wrapped a towel around her person. Reaching the phone as it began its seventh ring, she snapped up the receiver. "Hello?"

" _Tsubaki-sensei? It's Kaiza Hokuto."_

"Ah? Hokuto-san, hello!" Tsubaki's face lit up in recognition. "Is everything all right?"

" _Yes, sensei, thank you…but, actually, there's a little favor we'd like to ask, if it's okay…"_

Tsubaki tucked a few strands of her still-wet hair behind her ear with her free hand. "Well, what is it?"

" _My dad's heading to the mainland for a couple of days, but he doesn't want me staying here at the house alone. So, uh…well, I know this is kind of sudden, but…is it okay if I stay with you till he comes back?"_

"Oh—oh, sure, it's no trouble at all! And actually, that gives me a rather great idea for a lesson plan I have in mind for when the school term starts up again next month…" Tsubaki couldn't help but smile.

" _Ugh…and here I thought I'd get to enjoy what's left of the summer break…"_

"Now, now, never underestimate the importance of keeping up with your studies even during long holiday breaks," Tsubaki chided her student. "When can I expect to see you, then?"

" _Hmm…Dad should be dropping me off at your house around 2:00 so he can catch the 3:00 ferry to the mainland. Is that okay?"_

"That's fine, dear. I'll look out for you around 2:00, then."

" _Arigato, sensei. See you then."_ And with that, the call was disconnected.

"Whew…" Tsubaki set the phone back in its cradle. "Well, time to get back to my afternoon bath…"

 **OoOoO**

A few hours passed. Then 2:00 came, and it saw Kaiza's car pulling up outside a modest-looking bungalow, with Kaiza himself at the wheel and Hokuto in the passenger seat beside him. "So this is where your teacher lives?" Kaiza looked at the house. "Nice place."

"Yeah, she gave all of us in the class her particulars in case any of us had an emergency," said Hokuto.

They alighted from the car, and Kaiza walked up to the buzzer on the front gate and pressed it. He waited a moment…then he saw the front door open, and out came Tsubaki. "Kaiza-sama, welcome," she greeted him. "And hello there, Hokuto-san."

"Afternoon, sensei," Kaiza bowed in greeting, and Hokuto followed suit. "Sorry to trouble you with this kind of request on such short notice."

"It's no worry, Kaiza-sama, Hokuto-san explained the situation to me over the phone," Tsubaki assured him. "She'll be in good hands until you've returned from your trip."

"Thank you for that. And, ah, while we're on that subject, I'd like to inform you of a few things…" Kaiza turned to Hokuto. "Would it be all right if Hokuto gets settled in, in the meantime?"

"Certainly." Tsubaki looked at her student. "Hokuto-san, just head in and make yourself at home. There's a spare bedroom upstairs, second door on the right. I'll be inside in a few minutes."

"Hai, sensei," Hokuto nodded in acknowledgement. "Dad," she turned and gave a slightly stiffer nod to her father, before heading into the house.

Tsubaki watched for a moment as Hokuto entered her house; then she turned back to Kaiza. "If I may say, Kaiza-sama…she's a good kid," she said quietly. "And…I don't know what else to say, even now after all this time, except…I'm truly sorry for what happened to your family during the 365 days. I can only imagine how it affected you and Hokuto-san."

Kaiza nodded. "Thank you. And…yes…Hokuto's a good kid. It's just that she got caught up with some bad influences at an unfortunate time." His face darkened. "Including the one that got away from justice."

"…hmm." Tsubaki's smile faltered. "Unfortunately so."

"…well. Anyway." Kaiza straightened up a bit. "I'll give Hokuto a call once I reach my destination, so she'll know I've made it. For now, I leave her in your care."

"Hai, Kaiza-sama. Be safe on your trip." Tsubaki bowed in acknowledgement.

 **OoOoO**

An hour later, Kaiza was standing on the bow of the ferry as it departed from Whirl City's port, his car parked in the ferry's garage below deck along with several other vehicles belonging to other passengers. His coat-tails flapped in the wind as he looked straight ahead toward the horizon with a stoic expression on his face. His mind, meanwhile, was travelling far ahead to his destination.

 _In a little while…just a little while…_

 **OoOoO**

Three hours later saw Kaiza's car cruising through a rustic neighborhood, his eyes counting off the various lot numbers on the walls of the homes he drove past. "Where are you, where are you, where are—oh, there you are," he mumbled under his breath as he spotted the place he wanted.

Soon he was pulling up on the curb outside the specified house, and he emerged from the car and pressed the buzzer on the front gate. Then a voice came over the attached speaker: _"Who is it?"_

"Oishi Taiseki, you old warthog, it's me—your buddy Kaiza!" the police chief shouted.

"… _Kaiza? Is that really you out there? Well, hot damn—gimme a minute!"_

Kaiza stepped back from the gate and waited. His patience was soon rewarded, for in a moment the front door was opened, and out came a heavyset man with a jawline that looked like it'd been chiseled off a rock. "Well, I'll be damned—it really is you!" the man exclaimed, hurrying to the gate and unlocking it. "How long's it been, my man? Where's Hokuto—did you bring the little brat with you to visit? You should've told me you were coming—the wife and kids haven't seen the honorary uncle in forever!" and he laughed and caught Kaiza in a big bear-hug, slapping the other man on the back in the process.

"Yeah, yeah, Taiseki, I know it's been a while," said Kaiza, casually easing himself out of the bear-hug. "But I came here on my own…I'm not exactly here on a pleasure trip."

"Oh? Well, that's a shame…" Taiseki regarded his academy batch-mate. "So, what's up?"

"First things first—I ought to call Hokuto. I promised I'd phone her once I got to where I'm going, which happens to be here." Kaiza pulled out his cell-phone.

 **OoOoO**

The phone buzzed rather loudly in Hokuto's pocket, and she swiftly pulled it out and opened it. "Hello?"

" _Yeah, Hokuto, it's me,"_ her father's voice came over the line. _"I just got to Taiseki's house, and—"_

" _OI, HOKU-CHAN!"_ Taiseki's booming voice suddenly erupted on the phone. _"Don't worry, I'll make sure your pop behaves himself while he's here!"_

" _Cut it out, teme! Sheesh…"_ Kaiza was back on. _"Yup, the dumb-ass is still alive and kicking."_

"I can tell." Hokuto smiled a little. "Well…I'm glad to know you made it there safe."

" _Yes…but seeing as I've made it here so late, I figure I may not make it back to Whirl City until the day after tomorrow, at the earliest. Till then, please make sure not to give Tsubaki-sensei any trouble."_

"No, I won't, Dad," and Hokuto rolled her eyes even though she knew her father couldn't see it. "Tsubaki-sensei's looking about dinner now, so we'll be eating soon."

" _All right then. I'll call you tomorrow after all is said and done. And…take care, understand?"_

Hokuto allowed herself a little nod. "Sure, Dad. You too."

 **OoOoO**

Kaiza disconnected the call and pocketed the phone. "All right, obligation fulfilled…now to focus."

Taiseki gave him an amused look. "You sound like you're on a SWAT mission all of a sudden."

In turn, Kaiza gave him a flat look. "Why do you think Hokuto's not with me?"

Taiseki looked at him…and his own amused expression faded. "What are you _really_ doing here, Kaiza?"

"…" Kaiza closed his eyes and inhaled slowly through his nose, then let the breath out through his mouth. Then he looked at Taiseki again. "I'm thinking to have a reckoning with a Kyuushingai."

In that moment, Taiseki's expression became unreadable. "Explain."

"You've been keeping up with the news, right?" said Kaiza. "About that kid, Uzumaki Naruto…the one who they've been hailing as a hero after that whole business with LOVE's assault on Parliament?"

"Oh, sure, I know of him…the same kid who outed himself as a Kyuushingai on _Words of the Mighty Guy,"_ Taiseki confirmed. "…the same little bastard who tore Uzushio High School a new one that time in that fight with that gang when he didn't get a scratch on himself."

"Yeah, that's the same one." Kaiza nodded. "That kid's been a thorn in my ass for a long time. And I intend to get the thorn dealt with one way or another."

Taiseki cocked an eyebrow. "Well, okay, but what exactly do you intend to do? Plus, you're the chief of the Whirl City department…" His brow furrowed. "…unless you want to fill me in on what I don't know?"

"The family inside?" Kaiza looked past Taiseki and at the front door.

"Nah. The wife took the kids this morning to see her folks over in Earth County. They should be back by Friday." Taiseki nodded. "Of course, I begged off. Her old man and I could never agree on anything."

"Just as well, I guess." Kaiza's expression hardened. "What's the strongest stuff you got in there? I figure we'll both want to be hammered for what I'm going to tell you concerning Uzumaki."

"Johnnie Walker?" Taiseki suggested.

Kaiza contemplated it. "It'll have to do."

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 32

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: So here, in this Gaiden, we see the return of Chief Kaiza of Whirl City…but what exactly does he have in mind for Naruto that would necessitate a visit to his old police academy batch-mate?

Now, I need to make a note in this commentary portion. Previously, I posted a different Gaiden chapter which featured a female antagonist that Naruto would have met at Konoha High School, but after reading back the ending for Gaiden 31, I realized that I promised I would bring back a previously-established villainous character. And seeing as I like to keep my promises, I had to delete the other chapter which would have been Gaiden 32 and replace it with this one (that other chapter will be Gaiden 33 instead).

Concerning Kaiza, I have always had it in mind that he would be the Inspector Javert to Naruto's Valjean, with a mix of J. Jonah Jameson thrown in for good measure. Basically, think of Jameson as a cop instead of a newspaper editor, throw in a believable justification for him to only be ready to see the bad in the hero instead of the good (in Kaiza's case, as outlined in the main story, he lost his wife during a home invasion at the tail end of the 365 days, for which he's blamed the Nine Terrors ever since), and you have this story's version of Kaiza in a nutshell. At the same time, I have intended for him to be much more complex than even that, considering his beliefs in law, order and justice. I only hope the end result is satisfactory in terms of the story narrative.

Now, this Gaiden introduces us to the characters of Tsubaki and Oishi Taiseki. In the original canon, Tsubaki is a mother of one of the kids at the Konoha Academy, and a civilian who is very prejudiced against Naruto because of his jinchuriki status. Taiseki was an Iwa ninja who was killed in the backstory during Kakashi's tenure on his team with Obito and Rin; his surname, Oishi, comes from the fact that according to the _Naruto_ wiki page, "Taiseki" is an irregular pronunciation of the Japanese term for "big stone," which is usually pronounced "oishi" in Japanese.

And yes, there will be a Part 2 to this Gaiden, just like with the Mist City Chronicles and the side-story with Guren and Sagi…just not immediately. All I will say is, look out for it—it will come, I promise.

Anyway, this Gaiden chapter is complete! Gaiden 33—the previous Gaiden 32—is coming up!


	33. Alpha Female

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 33 – Alpha Female**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden takes place beginning on January 5, between Chapters 5 and 6 in the main story.)_

Thursday, January 5, saw the students of Konoha High School arriving at the facility as was usual for a typical school day. As was also typical, they were heading onto the campus in pairs or small groups, either guys chatting away about the latest movies they'd seen…

"Seriously, dude? I can't believe you only _just_ got to rent that movie—the babes in it are hot times ten!"

…or girls gossiping about whichever cute boy had caught their eyes recently…

"I've seen him eyeing you in the cafeteria! You'd better swoop him up before some bimbo nabs him!"

…or mixed groups sharing the most recently relevant rumor…

"Hey, I heard Kakashi-sensei got caught peeping in the women's bath downtown again…"

"Again? He's on a roll right out of the gate in this new year, isn't he?"

"Uh, excuse me, when was that incident with Kakashi-sensei?"

"Sunday…why? Were you there? Heh, heh, heh…"

"Pervert! No, I wasn't there, but my sister was…he'd better hope she never gets her hands on him, she's got a serious mad-on for peepers…"

And the chatter among the students would have kept on like that right up to the assembly period, if not for one boy looking toward the front gate as vehicles arrived with parents dropping off their children—

—and then he stiffened and stood up at full height. "Oh—Sana-san!"

The response was automatic: everyone in the boy's immediate vicinity looked toward the gate, where out of one particular car an older girl with light violet hair was just emerging. Clutching her book-bag's handle in a firm one-handed grip, she strode forward with a mannerism that said she was out to conquer the day.

"Good morning, Sana-san!" several girls addressed her, their tones filled with wonder.

"Good morning," the girl greeted them with a brief wave of her hand.

"Sana-sama! Your book-bag looks heavy; do you need help to carry it?" several boys crowed at once.

"Thank you, but I'm quite fine. But I'll let you know just in case, all right?" she spoke to them.

"HAI!" the boys all chorused, hearts in their eyes.

"Sana-sama, you look as radiating as ever!" some other girls announced.

"Oh, you're so kind," the girl replied, putting her free hand to her cheek.

Moments later she was going into the school building itself—and even more accolades came her way as students stopped what they were doing to take in her appearance. "Sana-san, won't you eat lunch with us today? Sana-san, do your best today!" the praises kept pouring in from everyone who saw her.

…okay, not everyone.

"Oy vey…Kagura Sana, the head cheerleader, captain of the gymnastics club, and self-appointed alpha female of Konoha High…seeing her get so much praise and attention gets on my nerves!" Ino, standing at her shoe-locker to place her street shoes inside it, grumbled under her breath as she watched Sana receiving verbal tributes on the other side of the corridor.

Standing beside her, Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "Seems you're jealous."

"Jealous? Me? Why should I be jealous of—of— _that?"_ Ino demanded.

"Oh, I don't know—maybe because of the popularity and the prestige, not to mention the _assets,"_ and Naruto's expression turned lecherous as he looked at Sana.

"Bastard, I will _castrate_ you!" Ino hissed in his face.

"Good luck with that." Naruto smirked at her. "In any case, don't you have plenty of things to be grateful for that you don't need to be jealous of her? Like, for example, the fact that you have a nice home with a caring upbringing, plus you're a smart girl, and you're pretty in your own right…"

"What the hell does _that_ mean, 'in my own right'?" Ino glowered at him. "Why, I oughta…"

Then suddenly her eye caught something else, past Naruto. "Eh? Hey, over there…that's…"

"Hmm?" Following her gaze, Naruto saw a brown-haired girl a few feet away, who was apparently looking at something a little distance off even as she was closing her own shoe-locker. "You know that girl?"

"That's Royama Ruka…we have a few classes together." Ino walked up to the girl. "Royama-san!"

"Eh?" Ruka jerked at the sound of her name being called. "Oh…Yamanaka-san!"

"Are you okay? You looked like you were spacing out a bit," Ino remarked.

"Was I?" Ruka blushed.

Ino looked in the direction Ruka had been looking. "Ah—well, now I get it. I don't blame you."

Further up the corridor from the shoe-lockers was a tall, slightly tanned, brown-haired young man, bent over a water cooler as he took a drink. Naruto, joining the girls just then, cocked an eyebrow as he took in the view of the other boy, who now straightened up and walked off elsewhere. "Oi, Ino, your friend must have a crush on that guy, I assume," he remarked.

"Eh? And you are?" Ruka turned to look at him, the surprise on her face only slightly lessening her blush.

"Naruto!" Ino punched Naruto on the arm. "Be a little louder about it, why don't you? Although…" Her face softened as she turned back to Ruka. "That _is_ it, isn't it, Royama-san?"

"Um…well…" Ruka's blush deepened.

"But who _is_ that guy, anyway?" Naruto wondered.

"Nakao Amai, senior student and president of the debate club," Ino summarized. "A real heartthrob among the girls, too—I hear even a few of the female teachers have a crush on him."

"What about you?" Naruto asked. "Aren't you gonna go ga-ga over him like with that emo Sasuke?"

"Come on, I know my limits when it comes to who I wanna date! At least with Sasuke-kun, we're in the same year-group, so I have a couple more years to snag him!" and hearts appeared in Ino's eyes.

"Ugh…you're hopeless," Naruto growled. "But anyway, uh, Ruka-san, right? If you really like the guy, why not just go and tell him? It's not like he can read your mind."

Ruka frowned. "You're new here, aren't you? I haven't seen you around before."

"Naruto's only been here a couple of days—hence his ignorance," and Ino gave Naruto a withering look. "And for the record, Naruto, you don't just approach guys like Amai-sempai out of the blue like that!"

"Or at all, in your case, kiddo…"

All three turned at that—and there stood Kagura Sana across from them, wearing an amused smirk on her face as she closed her shoe-locker, having just changed into her indoor footwear. "I couldn't help but hear you juniors talking about Amai-kun," she said. "You there, whisker-face," looking directly at Naruto, "you seem to be a new kid here, so I'll overlook your little suggestion that that kid there," shifting her gaze to Ruka, "should just approach Amai-kun so casually."

"Kagura-sempai…" Ruka began.

"Excuse me, but if Royama-san wants to talk to Amai-sempai, that's her right, isn't it?" Ino gave Sana a narrowed look. "There's nothing that says she can't or shouldn't."

"Oh, but there is something—me." Sana's smirk disappeared as she focused on Ruka. "Now, you be a good girl and don't try to play with the big kids, understand? Sometimes the big kids tend to play _rough."_

Ruka cocked her head slightly to one side. "Is that a threat?"

"Oh, no, not in the least. I'm not one to threaten people. I'm just telling you how different we are, as a senior student among her juniors. Seniors are on a whole different level, and Amai-kun is on too high a level for you." Sana's smirk returned. "Guys as youthful and full of passion like Amai-kun don't want little chickadees like you—they want women on their level, women who can match their enthusiasm." She started to walk past the trio. "You'll have to wait another ten years before you'll even begin to qualify."

Ruka folded her arms over her chest, lifted one hand to her cheek, and tapped the side of her head with her finger in a thoughtful gesture. "Then if that description of what Amai-sempai likes is true, then in ten years you'll be too old and saggy to match his enthusiasm, isn't that right?"

Sana instantly stopped right where she was, as though frozen on the spot. Then she slowly turned her head to look back at Ruka. "Mind repeating that?" she asked in a low but chilling voice.

"I'm saying, in ten years from now, Sana-sempai will be Sana-baa-chan, early edition," Ruka said coolly.

Ino and Naruto stared at Ruka with wide eyes. Ino found her voice first. "…whoa."

Sana's eyebrow twitched as she glared at Ruka. "Do you think I'm going to let your insolence stand, kid?"

"No need to be so thin-skinned," Ruka said calmly. "Only _old_ people should have such thin skin, right?"

A vein could be seen bulging on Sana's forehead. "I will not forget this. Make sure you understand that." Then she turned on her heel and marched off.

Naruto whistled in a low tone. "Whew…you pissed her off but good."

Ruka shrugged. "I had to deal with her type back in middle school. The trick is to hit them where it hurts the worst, with a weapon they can't block—words."

"Well, yeah, but…I didn't think I'd see something like that come from _you,_ Royama-san," Ino admitted.

"Really?" Ruka sweat-dropped.

"Still…" Naruto frowned. "I don't think she'll let this go. That look she gave you—I saw it on a lot of bullies' faces back at my old school. People like her, they don't forget and _never_ forgive. Better watch out."

"Aw, forget about her—she's just an overblown diva," said Ino. "Besides, there's a more pressing matter at hand…getting _you,"_ here she looked at Ruka, "to work up as much nerve to talk to Amai-sempai as you did to pull off such a verbal beat-down just now."

"Um, that's a whole different ball-game…" Ruka's sweat-drop got bigger. "But honestly, why would Amai-sempai even spend a minute of his time talking to someone like me?"

"You never know till you try, right?" Ino gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "The worst that could happen is that you confess to him and he turns you down."

"Which is better than being ignored by the emo _you're_ trying to suck up to," Naruto deadpanned.

"STOP SHOOTING DOWN MY AMBITIONS FOR SASUKE-KUN!" Ino screeched.

Every person in the vicinity at that moment stopped and stared at Ino. "Ah…" It was Naruto's turn to sweat-drop as he took in the sudden audience. "Sorry, folks, she hasn't taken her meds yet."

"Stupid whisker-face say wha?" Ino growled.

"Wha—" The next thing Naruto knew, he was on the ground with a steaming lump coming out of his skull.

"C'mon, Royama-san, let's go to class or we'll be late!" Ino said too cheerfully, skipping up the hall while rubbing her fist on her skirt and seemingly unmindful of everyone else quickly getting out of her way.

"Ah…right…" Ruka spared Naruto a sympathetic glance. "Gomen ne, Naruto-san," she whispered to him before turning and following after Ino.

"…ack…medic…" Naruto whimpered.

 **OoOoO**

 _SLAM!_

Sana's fist made a slight dent in the metal door of the bathroom stall she'd just assaulted; her whole hand up to the wrist hurt from that, but her rage only barely allowed her to register the pain. "That little pissing-tail bitch…how dare she talk to me like that! Me! Kagura Sana!" she snarled.

Taking several hard breaths to try and compose herself, she stepped over to the nearby faucet and, turning it on, splashed handfuls of water onto her face. But as cool as her face now felt, Sana's neck still burned as the memory of that upstart junior student's verbal jabs resounded in her brain. "Call me old, will you? Call me a grandma, will you?" she seethed. "You're going to regret insulting me, you little brat!"

She rested her hands on the sides of the face-basin and hung her head a little, breathing deeper in an effort to calm down some more. _But HOW do I make her pay? Hmm…all I know about the little wretch so far is that she seems to be smitten with Amai-kun, even if she wants to try and deny it…_

Slowly her lips curled upward in a smirk. _Maybe that's all I need._

 **OoOoO**

A few hours later…

"…what is _up_ with these pop quizzes?" Ino complained as she and Ruka headed toward their shoe-lockers.

"What're you complaining about, Yamanaka-san? You're one of the smartest girls around, aren't you?" Ruka countered, giving the blond girl an odd look.

"Well, it's not like I have to _like_ sudden quizzes that come with no warning," said Ino. "And anyway—say, what's that thing there?" and she pointed to Ruka's locker.

"Hmm?" Ruka took a look at what Ino was pointing at—a piece of paper sticking out of the groove in the locker's door. "A note?"

Ino gave Ruka a conspiratorial look. "Ooh, maybe it's a love confession from a secret admirer!"

"Don't be silly, Yamanaka-san," Ruka scolded her as she snagged the paper from the locker. "Still, let's see what it is…" She unfolded the paper. "…oh!"

"I was right, wasn't I? Wasn't I?" Ino gloated, coming up behind Ruka to look at the paper over the other girl's shoulder. "Well, now, what does it say?"

"Hmm…" Ruka read the note. "'Dear Royama-chan'…" She blushed at the honorific, but kept reading. "'I noticed you were looking at me today when I was drinking at the water cooler. The truth is, for a little while now I've been interested in getting to know you better, but I didn't know how to approach you without seeming too forward and being a bit embarrassing.'" Her eyes widened. "But…this is…could it be…"

"C'mon, c'mon, keep reading!" Ino urged her.

Ruka obliged. "'I'd like to meet with you later this evening, at the park downtown, at 8:00. I hope to see you so we can talk, and hopefully see where things can go from here.' And…and it's signed…"

"Nakao Amai!" Stars were in Ino's eyes. "Amai-sempai's been eyeing you this whole time, Royama-san!"

"Oh…oh, wow…" Ruka was blushing harder than she'd done earlier that morning. "Amai-sempai…to think he actually wrote me a note like this…but I honestly had no idea he was so shy. I mean, just look at it!"

"Yeah…I guess a heartthrob can be pretty reserved when it comes to actually confessing their feelings to the person they really like," said Ino. "So, Royama-san, are you going to go and meet him tonight?"

"I…I don't know," said Ruka. "Do you think I should?"

"Why not? At least you'll know for certain how he really feels once you meet him in person!" Ino replied.

Ruka looked down at the note again. Then she nodded. "Okay, then, I'll do it! I'll go meet Amai-sempai!"

"Nice!" Ino gave her a thumbs-up and a grin. "Let me know how it goes!"

And…a good distance away, Sana was peering at them from around a corner, a glint in her eye.

 **OoOoO**

"You're serious? He actually left her a love confession in her shoe-locker?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"I was with her when she found it! And she's going to meet with him at the park tonight!" Ino giggled. "So what do you say, Naruto, want to spy on them and see how it goes?"

Naruto waved her off. "If you want to go, more power to you. But I've got better things to do than play accomplice to a wannabe matchmaker." He turned and walked off. "Later."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Ino shouted after him—but he was already halfway up the hallway. "Ugh…fine, let that idiot miss out. He's got no sense of romance whatsoever! Hmph!"

 **OoOoO**

A few more hours later… _BRRRRRNG!_

The bell rang shrilly to signal the end of the day's last class, and the students poured out of their classrooms, book-bags in hand, some walking alone or in groups…and among them was Nakao Amai, his bag slung over one shoulder as he made his way through the growing crowd. By and by he emerged from the traffic of students and headed for his shoe-locker, opening it and taking his street shoes out of it.

"Nakao Amai, right?"

"Eh?" Amai turned and saw a younger student standing there, a blond boy with odd whisker-marks on his cheeks, hands in his pockets as he gave the upperclassman a largely apathetic look. "And you are?"

"Uzumaki Naruto's the name. I just transferred here this week." The younger boy's expression hadn't changed. "I was wondering if you and I could have a little talk. It's kind of important."

Amai cocked an eyebrow at the other boy's directness. "Hmm…"

 **OoOoO**

Night soon fell upon Konoha Town, and the street-lamps flickered on one by one as the sun vanished beyond the western hemisphere. The dying sunlight gave a cool aura to the local park, a place a few blocks away from the town center, a place which by bright daylight served as a play-area for children with its swing-set, slides and sandbox area, an exercise venue for joggers with its carefully-paved walkway, and a picnic site for families and couples with its emerald-green grass that was dutifully watered in the early morning by sprinklers on a timer; but now, despite there being no "closed" sign on the entrance to keep anyone out, it was empty of all human life.

The town clock was visible from the park, and its hands ticked along at their usual pace. 6:25…vehicular traffic whizzed by. 6:50…the sky turned from its deepening violet to a shadowy indigo. 7:30…a night heron roosted in its nest in one of the park's taller trees. 7:40…a certain snooping blond Yamanaka was skulking around in the park's bushes at the very center of the area, keeping a wary eye out.

"Yosh…" Ino looked in the direction of the town clock. "7:40 now…just 20 more minutes…"

Footsteps along the paved path caught her attention; glancing in that direction, she saw Royama Ruka, out of uniform and wearing a brown windbreaker with a matching knee-high skirt and ankle-boots, heading for a nearby bench. "She's early too…simple but tasteful fashion…good choice, Royama-san, best not to scare Amai-sempai off too quickly," Ino whispered. "Now for Amai-sempai himself to appear…"

 **OoOoO**

Unaware of Ino watching her from the bushes, Ruka sat down on the bench and glanced at her watch. "7:43 now…just be patient," she mused to herself.

She clasped her hands in her lap and proceeded to wait.

The minutes ticked by. 7:44…7:45…7:46…

Still she waited.

7:55.

She heard the sound of footsteps directly behind her. Turning her head, she saw a slender-bodied individual dressed in a silver hoodie with a matching cover over the mouth, black jogging pants and sneakers. The new arrival's head was tilted down slightly, the hood partially obscuring the upper part of the face, and both hands were in the hoodie-jacket's pockets.

Ruka stood up expectantly. "Amai-sempai…?"

Then she saw one hand coming out of one of the pockets, accompanied by a glint of shiny metallic silver.

 **OoOoO**

Ino gasped as she saw the movement. "ROYAMA-SAN!" she shrieked, jumping up from her hiding place.

 **OoOoO**

The knife was clutched tightly in a black-gloved grip, the blade pointed in Ruka's direction as its wielder drew one arm back in preparation to stab forward—

— _WHAM!_ A black-booted sole connected with the knife-wielder's jaw, and the would-be stabber was sent tumbling to the ground, the knife knocked away from the impact with the grass.

Ruka took in the situation at a glance. "Naruto-kun…!"

There on the ground, in a landing crouch, was Naruto, his eyes fixed on the person he'd just kicked. "You all right, there?" he flung the question over his shoulder at Ruka.

"Wh-what's going on here?" Ruka was clearly bewildered. "And did I just hear Yamanaka-san's voice…?"

"Royama-san!" the answer came a moment later, and Ruka turned to see Ino running toward her from the bushes nearby. "Royama-san, you're not hurt, are you?"

"Right now, all I am is confused!" Ruka looked from Ino to Naruto, to the still-downed assailant, and back to Ino. "Would somebody please tell me what's going on?"

Naruto stood up. "I'd say our hoodie-wearer can tell us…" His gaze hardened. "Right, Kagura Sana?"

As one, Ino and Ruka looked at the attacker…and as the top of the hoodie had been disturbed from its position due to the person's earlier fall, wisps of familiar light violet hair could now be clearly seen. "You…" The person sat up, speaking in a voice that was clearly Sana's. "You're the new kid…"

"And you're a thug hiding behind the mask of the popular cheerleader," Naruto said tartly.

Sana's reaction was immediate: she flipped backward into a hand-stand, flipped over onto her feet, and quickly bent down to retrieve her dropped knife. "You should've minded your own business, new guy!"

She rushed at Naruto and slashed at his face, but Naruto quickly ducked, spun where he stood, and sent a backhanded blow to her ribcage. Sana grunted as the blow landed, yet she flipped the knife into a reverse-grip and made to stab downward; Naruto crossed his arms over his head and blocked Sana's attack at her wrist—and seconds later he lifted one knee to counter her own rising knee to his midsection. Naruto then slammed both fists into Sana's ribs again, and this time she flinched and took a step back; not wasting a moment, he drew his fist back to punch her—but then had to halt right where he was, and fortunately so, for at that second she spun, planted her free palm on the ground, and swung one leg up in a reverse-kick to his head. Fortunately, the kick missed his nose, albeit by a scant inch.

Naruto hopped back a step. "Athletic, aren't you?" he quipped.

"I _am_ the captain of the gymnastics team, after all," Sana answered. "Now it's time to end this!"

"ENOUGH!"

Sana's movements halted as she heard the voice coming from off to one side. "What…?"

The others looked in the direction of the shout, too. "That's…!" Ruka breathed.

Stepping from behind a nearby tree was Amai, and on his face was a scowl. "I heard the story from Uzumaki-kun," he said gravely. "But I couldn't believe one of my fellow upperclassmen was capable of this behavior. I guess I should've learned after Rokusho Aoi's group got in trouble the other day."

"Amai-kun…" Sana began—before turning and sprinting off.

"HOLD IT!" Naruto snapped, promptly chasing after her. In a moment, he tackled her, both of them crashing to the ground; Sana struggled to get away from Naruto, but he quickly pinned both of her arms behind her back. "All right, stay right there!"

"Ow! Get off me, bastard!" Sana yelled.

"It's no use struggling, Sana…time for you to face the music," Amai said frostily. "Uzumaki-kun, let's take her to the police precinct. It's just over that side from here."

"Naruto…you called Amai-sempai here?" Ino queried as she and Ruka stepped forward.

"The moment you told me about your friend getting a so-called love confession note from this guy, so soon after that little run-in with Miss Cheerleader here over this same guy this morning, of course I'd be suspicious," Naruto answered coolly.

"…you told Naruto-san about the note?" Ruka gave Ino a flat look.

"Um, yeah, I kinda blabbed to him about that, and can we deal with the fallout from that _after_ we resolve the issue of the crazy cheerleader-slash-gymnastics captain who tried to stab you?" Ino asked hurriedly.

"About that…Uzumaki-kun said a love confession from me was involved in this…" Amai shook his head. "For the record, I don't believe in leaving love notes for people to find. I'd rather say anything I have to say in person. I guess Sana here," glaring at Sana, "wrote it herself and passed it off as my handwriting."

"…I see…" Ruka cast her gaze at the ground. "I jumped to conclusions, then…"

"Buuuuuut you can resolve that matter fully now that you guys are meeting in person!" Ino ran toward Naruto and Sana and bent down, grabbing Sana's shoulder. "What say we go ahead with Sana here and you guys can catch up at the station in a bit?"

"Eh?" Ruka and Amai exclaimed together as they stared at Ino.

"Get your hands off me!" Sana exploded. "I'm an influential student at Konoha High! You think the cops will believe _you_ over _me?_ They'll be eating out of my hands once I turn on my usual charms!"

"At least until they look at the footage from the security cameras all around the park," Naruto said dryly.

 _That_ shut Sana up.

Ruka looked on as Ino and Naruto herded Sana off. Then she turned to Amai. "So…um…Amai-sempai…"

Amai read her expression. "Royama-san, right? I'll be frank with you. I…appreciate that you might have a crush on me…but I'm not looking for a relationship with _anyone_ right now. Plus, I'm only just getting to meet you. If I'm going to be with anyone, I'd rather be with someone who I've known for a long enough period of time…someone who knows the true me instead of just acting on the spur of the moment."

"…I see." Her eyes were overshadowed. "So my chances were low anyway. I guess that was to be expected…but…at least I got to hear it directly from you."

"You're disappointed," Amai said simply.

"Yes…" Ruka lifted her face, showing a resigned smile. "All the same, thank you, Amai-sempai. For giving me a chance to clear things up and put my feelings in perspective. Anyway, maybe life has something else in mind for me…whatever it is, one way or another, I'll make sure you're the first to know. That okay?"

"…sure." He nodded. "Whatever way you go in life, be sure to come tell me. I'll look out for the update."

And for Ruka at that moment, near-murder and disappointment aside, she felt far warmer inside than she'd felt at the beginning of the day.

 **OoOoO**

The next day, at school…

Kagura Sana stepped out of the car dropping her off at the school gate, and with book-bag in hand she walked up to the school's front door. Around her, as usual, were several students in their various groups, talking about all sorts of subject matter…but as Sana came up the walkway and through the front door…

"Psst…there's Sana-san…"

"Do you think it's true? That she got into some kind of trouble with the police last night?"

"I heard she was dressed like a gangster and got involved in a scuffle downtown…"

"No way! Are you certain?"

"Maybe it was a misunderstanding…Sana-sama's not that kind of person…right?"

She could hear some of the whispers floating from the students' mouths to her ears as she walked past them and went directly to her shoe-locker, keeping her face carefully neutral as she changed into her indoor shoes, placed her street shoes in the locker, and proceeded to her homeroom. However…

 _How much do they know? Do they know about my parents coming to bail me last night? Did somebody at the precinct blab about my dad giving me an earful when he and Mom came to get me? Has anybody heard about…what happened at the park?_

A movement further up the hallway caught her eye. She looked—and there, crossing at the hallway intersection, was a familiar blond guy with whisker-marks, book-bag slung over his shoulder while he whistled with nary a care in the world. Sana eyed him, though he wasn't even looking her way…and as she looked, her gaze narrowed, her brow furrowed deeply, and she clenched her teeth.

 _Uzumaki Naruto, huh…_ Sana's grip on her bag's handle tightened. _I'll never forgive you for getting in my way like you did…you just wait—I'll make sure you and your friends pay for what you did to me! Just wait!_

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 33

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Canonically, Sana—a Suna kunoichi—didn't have a revealed surname; the name Kagura comes from one of Karin's techniques, of a type Sana is supposed to be proficient in. Neither did Ruka, a Kiri kunoichi, or Amai, a Kumo shinobi, have surnames; theirs were randomly picked for this story.

And, yes, Sana is deliberately an antagonist in order to add more females in Naruto's rogues-gallery in this story. And yes, a few future Gaiden chapters will feature her, mostly as the "alpha bitch" character type that she's been revealed to be in this chapter.

More Gaidens coming!


	34. Reckoning, Part 2

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 34 – Reckoning, Part 2**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden takes place immediately following Gaiden 32.)_

"…I see…so that's what happened to Kaiza-sama…" Tsubaki studied the younger woman sitting near her.

The two were having dinner together in Tsubaki's dining room, a meal of diced chicken covered in creamy alfredo sauce atop ravioli seasoned with black pepper, with a side helping of steamed carrots, string beans and spinach. In the act of putting a forkful of chicken and spinach in her mouth, Hokuto nodded. "Mmm-hmm," she replied, before taking a moment to chew and swallow her mouthful. "He got in trouble with the Internal Affairs department at work because of his actions when the Star-Boys gang kidnapped me."

"That's sad, though…for them to sanction him like that, after all he's done for this city," said Tsubaki.

"It's really confusing, though, truth be told," said Hokuto. "I mean, who'd have thought that Uzumaki Naruto would've been involved in saving me from those guys?"

"Hokuto-san." Tsubaki set her fork down and looked her student in the eye. "What exactly are your thoughts concerning Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Honestly?" Hokuto looked down at her plate. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to think at this point."

"Oh? So it's not that clear to you?" asked Tsubaki.

"Well, I haven't forgotten how much trouble Naruto got Uzushio High School into when he fought Sumaru and his gang that time—who _could_ forget it?" said Hokuto. "And then to find out he was one of the Nine Terrors this whole time…yet he's got friends who trust him, and now he's being hailed as a hero after the Parliament incident the other day…so I have no idea what kind of view I should have of him now."

"Hmm." Tsubaki took a mouthful of her food and chewed it slowly.

Hokuto regarded her teacher. "Sensei…you don't like him, do you? Because he's a Kyuushingai…and because of the gang-fight at school…"

"Whirl City was one of the worst-affected areas during the 365 days—but you don't need me to tell you _that._ You live here, you know that as well as anyone here." Tsubaki's eyes were narrowed. "When the crime wave spread from the mainland to here, criminals took all the advantage they could take of the fear that everyone felt. I don't know if any of the Kyuushingai were physically present in Whirl City at any point that year, there were too many rumors abounding…but whether they were here or not, what's undisputed is that they had a hand in our city's suffering. And Uzumaki Naruto was one of them."

"Yeah." Hokuto sighed.

Tsubaki ran one hand through her hair. "Look, I won't dispute that perhaps he _has_ done a little bit here and there to assist this country, what with the recent Parliament incident, and that he was present when you were rescued from your kidnappers…but one or two token good deeds can't make up for all the harm he's caused, directly or indirectly, both in his own right and by virtue of being one of the Terrors. You _do_ understand that he was already a pariah because of what happened at school, and that he'll be more of a pariah now that everyone knows how he was able to pull that off—right?"

"I get that, sensei. I do. I just…" Hokuto shook her head. "I don't think this is quite so black-and-white like how we'd always thought, you know?"

"How is it not black-and-white, Hokuto-san?" Tsubaki queried. "If it wasn't for the Kyuushingai and their dreaded influence, this country wouldn't have been so affected by the panic we all had to endure…and…" Her tone became softer. "Forgive me for getting so personal, but…if it wasn't for the Kyuushingai, you and your father likely wouldn't have lost your mother the way you did."

Hokuto frowned. "Sensei, I don't know about any of the other Kyuushingai…but I can speak regarding the one I know about for sure, the one I've interacted with in person. And…I can't deny it…if it wasn't for him, I likely wouldn't be sitting here right now, chatting with you and enjoying your cooking."

"As far as I'm concerned, dear, your father is the real hero—not that boy." Tsubaki was firm.

"Hmm." Seeing that Tsubaki's stance would not bend, Hokuto quietly returned her attention to her dinner.

 **OoOoO**

"…so that's it, huh…" Taiseki took a thoughtful sip of the blue brew in his whiskey tumbler.

"Yup." Kaiza, reclining on the living room couch across from Taiseki's chair, took a mouthful of the brew in his own glass. "The suits in Internal Affairs got me suspended because I agreed to try and kill that Kyuushingai bastard in exchange for the Star-Boys letting Hokuto go. Talk about messed up, huh?"

"Hey, that's Internal Affairs for you; you get stuck making the tough calls while risking your life, and all they do is bitch on you from behind the safety of their office desks," said Taiseki.

"And you know what makes it harder to swallow? While Uzumaki's made himself a little celebrity with the Parliament and LOVE incident, I get sacked with doing no work and getting no pay for a month because I tried to actually do what a father's supposed to do and protect my kid with the only option I had available to me at the time." Kaiza tossed back the rest of the whiskey in his glass. "Refill?" he held the glass up.

Taiseki wordlessly took up the bottle from its place on the side-table near his seat, poured himself a fresh glass, and then stepped over to Kaiza and handed him the bottle. Sitting back down, he took a mouthful of his drink. "One of the Kyuushingai, responsible for a year's worth of death and property damage, gets respected as a hero, while a _real_ hero gets punished for a crime pulled against him by a bunch of punks," he said at last. "Folks, fair play and justice at its finest."

Kaiza swiftly drained his glass. "Not for long, if I were to have my way."

Taiseki paused in mid-sip and waited.

"Problem is, I've been thinking the whole thing through from ever since I left Whirl City today," Kaiza went on. "It's a catch-22 situation right now, just like back then. Back then, if I killed Uzumaki in compliance with the Star-Boys' demands, sure, I'd likely get Hokuto back as agreed, but at the same time I'd be betraying the integrity of my badge and the oath I took as police chief of Whirl City. But if I _didn't_ kill Uzumaki, who knows what they'd have done to Hokuto. I guess I should consider myself lucky that he actually volunteered to get Hokuto out of there…but _that_ feels like a betrayal of my wife, seeing as she died because of a bunch of thugs making the most of the 365 days, which was started by the Kyuushingai. And in the end, by my initially agreeing to cooperate with the Star-Boys, I've ended up on suspension."

"And your options now?" asked Taiseki.

"If I let things stay the way they are, and don't do anything, I'll always be faced with the shame of knowing that a Kyuushingai, who I could've nipped in the bud when he was at school in Whirl City, slipped through my fingers twice over and is now being hailed as a hero, when he's nothing more than a killer and a walking disaster zone who escaped the long arm of the law, and that'll betray everything Whirl City had to deal with and its efforts for restoration since then…but if I go and confront him, and things turn ugly, either I get unlucky and die, or he dies, becomes a martyr, and I get painted as the villain." Kaiza shook his head and sighed. "No matter how I look at it, I just can't win, can I?"

Silence reigned in the room as Taiseki took another sip of his drink. Then he put the glass down on his side-table. "You know, Kaiza…when we graduated from the academy, I got posted as a rookie cop right here in Yu City. Seemed like a good place back then; it's where I met my wife, it's where we've raised our kids…the place isn't perfect, no place is, but damn it, I wouldn't trade it for anywhere else in this world." His face contorted into a scowl. "Except for one moment during the damn 365 days."

Kaiza eyed his old friend, but kept silent and waited for him to continue.

"The Yu City department's cops got pulled into round-the-clock shifts just to stave off any and all opportunistic crimes from the Nine Terrors' antics in neighboring towns and districts…but even with all officers on duty, we just couldn't be everywhere at once." Taiseki looked away. "Muggings, rapes, break-ins, robberies…you name it, we had to deal with it. Plenty of them slipped past us, but what else could we do? And my wife…working as a paramedic, that was the most hellish year of her career. We didn't get to meet up on the street very often because of everything we had to do, but we made the most of it, and we kept as professional as we could for the sake of everybody we were servicing. And we both saw a lot of horrific stuff, but…there was one case in particular…one case where her unit was the first responder…one case that I'd rather have thrown my badge off a bridge than have to see it…"

Still Kaiza kept silent, allowing the other cop to dominate the conversation.

"It was in mid-September." Taiseki's voice sounded distant, like he was talking more to the shadows in the room than to Kaiza. "There'd been a lull in the crime wave in Yu City, and very little of it, if any at all, had affected the suburban district. This woman…a single mom, I was told later…she'd just picked up her daughter from school. They were five minutes away from their house…next thing they knew, they ran into a blockade set up in the road, with a couple of guys in police uniforms on guard and a sign giving directions for a detour. But…it led them to a street with a dead-end…and then they got boxed in by a car pulling up right behind them to cut off their only way out. Four guys came out…all of them packing heat.

"I found out later that this particular gang had a specific way of operating—they'd stolen a few cop uniforms from different neighboring precincts, and what they'd do was, they'd pretend to be cops, get targets to lower their guard, misdirect them off the main road and into a spot of their choosing, then rob and assault them. Well, poor lady, she had no way of knowing about that at that point…she thought for a second that they really were cops…until they started talking, that's when she realized it'd been a set-up. But by then…she couldn't do jack-squat."

Kaiza's expression was grim. "How bad did it get?" he dared to ask.

" _Bad."_ Taiseki shook his head. "They said they'd give her a choice: either they'd make her daughter watch while they got _busy_ with her…or they'd make her watch while they…sampled the daughter's cherry." The disgust was dripping from his voice when he said it. "They had the guns, they weren't messing around, they meant business. And the poor woman, her first concern was for her kid…so…"

Silence enveloped the room as Taiseki gritted his teeth. "I'll just say that by the time my wife's paramedic team got to the spot, the lady was on the ground with way too much trauma and the daughter was bawling so much she didn't have any facial fluids left to cry out."

Kaiza swore under his breath.

"My partner and I were on patrol a couple dozen blocks away by that point; we were the nearest ones to answer the call, so off we went." Taiseki leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily. "I'd seen a lot of bad scenes before that day, Kaiza, but what I saw when we got there…my wife was just loading the mom on the gurney into the back of the ambulance, and the daughter was being comforted by my wife's co-workers. Then the little girl looked up and saw me approaching…"

" _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

Somewhere from out of his memory, unwanted and unbidden, it came screeching in his ears. "The kid was scared almost to death, Kaiza, scared when she saw me coming close. And what makes it worse? It wasn't _me_ she was scared of, per se…it was the _uniform._ She saw me wearing something similar to what she saw the guys wearing who hurt her mom right in front of her eyes, and she was too young to be able to tell the difference, all that mattered was that it was men wearing uniforms like mine who hurt her mom, and it was the most nightmarish scream I'd ever hear—and I _still_ hear it in my head sometimes, still see her face in my dreams, like it'll never be erased from my memories."

Kaiza's mouth tasted foul all of a sudden. "Please tell me you managed to find those bastards and shoot them dead, Taiseki. They deserve nothing less than that."

"Catching them was the easy part," Taiseki snorted. "Turns out, the car they'd used was stolen; easy to track, seeing as the idiots didn't think to remove the plates. A week after that incident, two got shot down when they drew their guns on us; the other two are locked away in the pen now, hopefully getting their own taste of what they did to that mother."

Kaiza gave Taiseki a suspicious look. "You said catching them was the easy part…"

"Yeah. Compared to what else came out of that case, at any rate." A shadow came over Taiseki's whole face. "As for the mom and her kid…last I heard, the mom suffered long-term internal damage from the way those animals brutalized her…the daughter's in therapy long-term, but from what my wife was able to learn, the poor kid still screams like a banshee if she sees anyone who even remotely looks like a cop." He made a disgusted sound with his teeth. "Trust me, Kaiza, after what I saw that day, I'd give up every promotion I've made in my career if it'd help the family to heal even a little bit."

"…yeah. I'm sure you'd do that." Kaiza leaned back on the couch.

Taiseki took his glass back up and downed the rest of his drink in one gulp. "Ahh…that was needed," he hissed. "Kaiza, my man, every time somebody mentions the Kyuushingai or the 365 days to me these days, or even if they're not talking to me directly but loud enough for me to hear, that family is the first thing that comes to my mind—scarred in different ways, scarred for life. And I think of that little girl in particular…and I think to myself that it could've just as easily been _my_ kids. And that horror they underwent…that horror, stretched out across the country over a year…and all of it was because of nine bastards who weren't thinking of anyone but themselves while they were going across the different towns and cities. To know that so many people suffered so badly, yet those nine haven't faced proper due justice…it isn't right, Kaiza. It just isn't right. And now, to hear you talk about the corner you've been backed into, and not just the one time at that…it makes me want to puke, you know?"

"Mmm." Kaiza nodded. "I was hoping we'd be on the same page."

"Yeah…" Taiseki eyed the whiskey bottle. "I can't do anything about it, though."

"What's stopping you?" Kaiza asked.

Taiseki spread his arms out to the sides. "Hey, you mentioned it yourself a while ago—the integrity of the badge. As much as I wish I could go put a bullet in the forehead of the nearest Kyuushingai, if I _did_ do that, and in a situation where it wasn't a clear-cut case of self-defense or defense of another person, I'd be guilty of murder. Besides which, I have my wife and kids to think about…I can't afford to throw them away for the sake of vigilante justice, no matter how justified I think it might be."

Kaiza frowned. "And I was here thinking that just the fact that the Kyuushingai exist would be grounds enough to act in defense of other people."

"Yeah, well, it just isn't as simple as that. The world's not as black and white as the academy's rulebook wants us cops to believe." Taiseki ran a hand over his face…then his eyes shifted to look at Kaiza. "Oi."

"Hmm?" Kaiza returned the look.

If Taiseki had been feeling even slightly tipsy from the alcohol, the look on his face at that moment gave no indication of that. "Have you made up your mind what you're going to do yet?" he asked in a low tone.

Kaiza scoffed. "I told you, I haven't got any clue about options that don't end badly for me."

"I can think of one," said Taiseki.

"Seriously?" Kaiza cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

Taiseki propped one arm on the back of his seat. "You want to have a reckoning with Uzumaki, you said."

"Uh-huh…" Kaiza eyeballed his friend. "And?"

"At least you've got enough balls and drive to want to have that reckoning." Taiseki nodded. "We here in Yu City can't even do that with the guy _we_ want to have words with."

"What do you mean?" asked Kaiza.

Taiseki turned his eyes to the ceiling, staring at the wood-based patterns up there for a long moment. "The department's been hush-hush about this ever since the Parliament incident, but…there's another one of the Nine Terrors in government custody, who's from right here in Yu City."

Kaiza's brow furrowed. "And why hasn't the press said anything about this?"

"Gag order from the top brass—officially, none of us are supposed to say anything about it to the media or even to our own families. Not even my wife or kids know about it." Taiseki scowled. "Nothing in the gag order says we can't talk to other cops about it, though, which is why I'm telling you now."

"With all due respect to Yu City's top brass, that gag order sounds like instructions from a fool," Kaiza said darkly. "What's so special about this Kyuushingai that they won't let you out the person to the press?"

"That's the same question half the beat cops asked when the commissioner informed us," said Taiseki. "Then he told us who it was…and now the department's split down the middle."

Kaiza gave Taiseki a long look. "…somebody you all know?"

"Somebody a lot of people in Yu City have known for the past few years." A pained look came over Taiseki's face. "His name's Han. And the guy's a preacher, for heaven's sake. A _preacher!"_

"A preacher…?" Kaiza cocked an eyebrow. "Sounds more like a wolf in sheep's clothing to me."

"Uh-huh—a wolf in sheep's clothing with rights." Taiseki sighed. "Top brass says he's to be kept in a secure location till he gets legal representation and hammers out the details for a court appearance."

Kaiza's eyes flashed. "Uzumaki underwent a trial himself—one that resulted in him being absolved of his crimes and becoming an errand boy for the government. If your resident Kyuushingai managed to worm his way into the hearts of the locals before now, who says he won't get the same red-carpet treatment?"

"…honestly, I can't say I'm surprised to hear you suggest that," and Taiseki shook his head. "The way it is right now, Han's well protected—even from us. Apparently the government bigwigs decided to keep his location a secret even from us, in case anybody might get 'ideas,' or at least that's how the commissioner put it. And given the talk in the squad room since we heard the truth about him, maybe the higher-ups expected that some of us might, ahem, go above the law and save them the expense of a court hearing."

"So your superiors telling you that you've had a Kyuushingai in Yu City all this time, and who it is, but not where he is, they did that just to taunt you?" Kaiza demanded.

"The half that wants his head sure thinks so," Taiseki said gravely. "The other half says we should cut him a break—says he's been atoning for his crimes." He made a rude noise with his teeth. "As far as I'm concerned, there's only one proper kind of atonement for a Kyuushingai."

"Well, buddy, you and I are thinking alike where that's concerned," said Kaiza. "How are you guys going to deal with it, though? You can't stay having mixed opinions forever."

"As if we have much other choice—if we try to take any kind of action against Han outside of a direct instruction from the higher-ups, there's a high chance they'll sanction us to make themselves look good. Even if any of them personally hate the Nine Terrors, they want to make it seem like the justice system is actually doing something worthwhile to keep a lid on the peace in the country, after what went down at Parliament." Taiseki rolled his eyes. "So they have Yagura and Kira Ay's twin and the Akatsuki leader in custody, plus those LOVE psychos—they'll want to say the police have done their due diligence and then some, just to try and make up for the failure to secure Parliament—and that's without taking into account the failure to bring the Kyuushingai into custody from the get-go. Asinine, I say, but hey—I'm just one cop with an oath to uphold and a family to care for. It's not like _I_ can do anything about it that I'd want to do."

Kaiza drummed his fingers on the couch next to his thigh. "You were going to suggest something that I could do to deal with Uzumaki. I'm going to assume that you telling me about your own Kyuushingai trouble has something to do with that?"

"Oh, it's got plenty to do with it," said Taiseki. "We, you and me and the other cops here, might not be able to kill these Terrors ourselves, or take any other kind of action against them that doesn't jeopardize our careers, reputations and families…but if we can't use our guns, we can do _other_ things."

"Other things?" asked Kaiza. "What—you mean, like, protesting?"

"Exactly. And considering you just got put on suspension thanks to your precinct's Internal Affairs, we could use your situation as extra fodder to persuade the police federation reps." Taiseki nodded. "One of our academy batch-mates is the current vice-president of the federation—I could reach out to her and propose some kind of action that we could take to make our opinions about this known. And since your rank is pretty high as Whirl City's chief of police, your words would have extra weight, don't you think? I'm sure your rank-and-file cops in Whirl City would back you in a heartbeat, and the ones here in Yu City who're anti-Kyuushingai would support you too."

Kaiza fingered his chin. "Hmm…"

"Just say the word, and in five minutes I'll get you talking on the phone with the federation V.P.," said Taiseki. "What do you say, man?"

"I say…" Slowly a smirk came over Kaiza's mouth. "Are you up for a run to Konoha Town tomorrow?"

"Konoha Town?" Taiseki repeated.

"Yes." Kaiza nodded, his smirk growing. "For a declaration of a different kind of war."

 **OoOoO**

Back in Whirl City, at Tsubaki's house…

Hokuto was in her designated bedroom, slipping into her nightgown in readiness for bed, yet sleep was the farthest thing from her mind. Every so often she would glance out the window, which gave her a good view of the city's coastline a few miles away, and beyond that was the ocean horizon as lit up by the moon far overhead. "Dad…will you be okay out there…?" she asked softly.

Now dressed, she sat down on the edge of her bed, her eyes still focused on the sea. "Dad…"

 **OoOoO**

The night hours passed by slowly. Then, little by little, the early hours of Wednesday, August 2 rolled in…and 5:30 a.m. saw Kaiza's car heading along the road, Kaiza at the wheel and Taiseki in the passenger seat beside him, while off in the distance the sun slowly rose atop the distant mountains.

Both men kept their eyes on the road, but otherwise were stonily silent.

 **OoOoO**

"Yawn…mmm…ugh…"

Uzumaki Naruto grunted softly as sleep left him. He sat up—and flinched as he was reminded that, several days after he'd returned home to Konoha Town, his forehead and right arm were still bandaged up and his left arm was still tightly bound and secured in a sling. "Oh, man…at least another two weeks before I'll be able to get these damn things off me," he muttered. "Well, I guess I'd better get up soon…"

Easing himself out of bed, he padded to the door and, moments later, was heading down to the kitchen. "Oi, I'm up…is breakfast ready?" he called.

"Almost. Just another few minutes."

"Eh?" Eyebrows uplifted at hearing a voice that wasn't his mother's in the kitchen, Naruto hurried to its entrance and— "Oh, Han? You're here?"

True enough, the much taller Han was there at the stove, only turning briefly to nod at Naruto. "Morning, Naruto, glad to see you're awake," he greeted the younger man.

"What're you doing here?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"Cooking breakfast in your kitchen." Han couldn't resist a chuckle.

"Very funny, smart-ass preacher. You know what I mean," said Naruto.

Han's expression became more contemplative. "After the whole ruckus at Parliament, your father, Yugito and I had a little chat…we agreed that it would be prudent for me to take that opportunity to surrender myself to the authorities, as Yugito had done previously, and they decided I should be kept in a secure location till I should make my appearance before the courts. And what safer and more secure place was there for me to be than here?"

"…you don't visit here often enough, do you?" Naruto deadpanned.

"I suppose not." Han chuckled again. "Anyway, how do you feel today?"

"Ah…still aching, but handling it better, I guess," Naruto replied, surveying his bandaged injuries. "More immediately, though, how come _you're_ the one in the kitchen and not Mom?"

"Well, I woke up early to start the breakfast preparations, and while I was coming into the kitchen, I heard your father and mother getting into rather deep discourse with each other," said Han. "She was squealing and moaning and insisting he give her more of his—"

"T.M.I.! T.M.I.! Tee-em-freaking-eye!" Naruto shrieked, covering his ears.

"What? You had to come into the world by _some_ means, right?" asked Han.

"I do _not_ need to hear the gory details!" Naruto exploded, fangs in his mouth.

"Heh-heh-heh." Han grinned. "In any event, my boy, look on the bright side—both your parents could use a break, what with all the craziness they had to endure at Parliament and then with having to worry about you while you were getting your wounds treated."

"Sheesh…whatever," Naruto grumbled. "So, Mr. Preacher-Man, what're you doing for breakfast?"

"Grilled cheese sandwiches with fries," said Han. "It'll soon be ready, so make yourself comfy at the dining table. Plus, after you eat, you should get right back to bed and get plenty of rest—your father's orders."

"Han, my man, I've been sleeping like a log for hours at a time over several days now," Naruto remarked.

"You and me both, but unlike you I've had a little more time to heal up," said Han.

"How about Yugito? I haven't seen her since we came back here to Konoha Town," Naruto observed.

"As I understand it, she's had to submit reports to the government concerning the last few days' events, and she's recovering in her own private time and space," said Han.

"Hmm…she's probably at Hinata's place," Naruto said thoughtfully. "Maybe we could see them later?"

"It's an idea," Han agreed. "Now, how about I finish the cooking, eh?"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto waved his good arm at the other ex-Kyuushingai and went out to the dining room…and his eye caught something outside the living room window nearby. "We expecting company?"

"Not to my knowledge. Why, do we have visitors?" Han asked from the kitchen.

"Yup…" Naruto leaned forward slightly as his gaze narrowed. "And they don't look friendly."

Outside the house, a car had just parked on the other side of the street, and now two men alighted from the vehicle and approached the front yard. Naruto promptly hurried to the front door and, opening it, was just in time to see the new arrivals stopping just short of the front porch. "Well, well, morning," he greeted them.

One of the men looked him dead in the eye. "Uzumaki," he said shortly.

"So this is him, eh, Kaiza?" the other man asked. "I know he was in the papers and on TV, but he sure doesn't look the same up close and in person."

"And you are…?" Naruto asked.

"Not your concern, boy," Kaiza growled. "We're not here to stay; we've come to give you a warning."

Naruto didn't even turn around as he heard footsteps approaching from behind him. "Ah, these are the visitors," Han commented. "And…I thought one of them sounded familiar," he added, his gaze fixed on Kaiza's companion. "Oishi Taiseki-san, good to see you."

"Save it." Taiseki's voice was instantly cold as he turned a sharp look on Han. "The department's commissioner told us about you. You've betrayed the people of Yu City, you Kyuushingai bastard, and we won't let you forget it. We were told you were being kept in a secure place…who'd have thought that place would be the home of another Kyuushingai, eh? But I guess it's true that birds of a feather flock together."

"In any event…" Kaiza had not once taken his eyes off Naruto. "The media might be showering you with praise for your role in the Parliament incident, but _we're_ not fooled in the least. Even if you're working in cooperation with the government, that doesn't change what you are—a pack of dogs that escaped justice."

"I thought you said we were even, after the whole Star-Boys incident," said Naruto. "Were you lying?"

"You have only yourself to blame for my being here now, Uzumaki," said Kaiza. "Because of that incident, I've been sanctioned back in Whirl City, and meanwhile you're here in freedom instead of in a cell where you should have been put from the first day. That's as imbalanced as it can get, and I am in no mood to tolerate it. So while I might not be legally able to put a bullet in you, much as I wish I could, there are…other ways of getting you back for taking the honors that should rightfully go to this country's _real_ heroes, men and women like myself and Taiseki here who've kept up the fight in spite of the horrors you and yours created in the 365 days."

"And those would be…?" Han asked.

"Like we'd tell _you,_ traitor!" Taiseki hissed at him.

"But I will say this much to you. After all, I did say we're here to warn you." Kaiza's eyes flashed. "You'd better keep your eyes and ears open from now on, because while some people in society might be willing to overlook your past transgressions, there are others who will not. And I, for one, will be keeping a very close eye on you, Uzumaki, and if you so much as _jaywalk,_ I will use everything in my power to see you locked up like the animal you are. Got me?"

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "Like the animal I am? Um…" A confused look appeared over his face. "What animal am I? Uh…arf, arf? Meow? Caw, caw, caw? Oh, oh, I know—awooooo!" and he puckered his lips outward as he gave a little howl.

Kaiza's eyebrow twitched. "…good day." He turned on his heel and stalked back to his car, Taiseki following him a moment later.

"Heh, heh, heh." Han shook his head and smiled as he watched the two men enter the car and drive away with a loud screeching of the tires. "You got his goat there, Naruto."

"Ah!" Naruto snapped his fingers. "That's it! That's the animal I must be! Baa-aa-aa-aa!—wait, no, isn't that a sheep's sound?"

Han merely chuckled and shook his head again. "Mischievous kid."

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 34

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: Aaaaaand with this Gaiden chapter, I have made it official. Yes, Kaiza is officially a member of Naruto's recurring rogues gallery in the wider _Kitsune no Ken_ universe, but at the same time he's a different sort of antagonist (especially in stark contrast to his clearly heroic portrayal in _Naruto_ canon) in that, while he's not on the evil side of the morality scale like this fic's character-portrayals of persons like Mizuki, Aoi, Kimimaro, Tsuchinoe, Homura, Kira, Arashi, Utakata, or Yagura, he's not the kind of person who will ever be rooting for Naruto either, much like we all know J. Jonah Jameson, "Thunderbolt" Ross and Sam Lane will never root for Spider-Man, Hulk or Superman, respectively.

And since we're on the subject of comic books…true believers, a moment of silence for the late, great Stan Lee, who died today (November 12, 2018) at the ripe old age of 95, leaving behind a massive legacy and an Excelsior-worthy impact on the great age of superhero comics.

(moment of silence)

Resuming my post-chapter commentary now, I think I would describe Kaiza, as an antagonist in this fic's universe, as the kind of opponent you can't really defeat by simply punching their lights out. Just like how, in the main story, Jiraiya is a politician and therefore can't be physically attacked for his use of legal tactics to try and get Naruto convicted, in the same way Kaiza's a cop and therefore _definitely_ can't be attacked to stop his antagonism of Naruto (not that that stopped Frank Castle from killing insane cop Blackwell during the "Suicide Run" story arc in _The Punisher)._

Next Gaiden chapter, I'll be bringing back another antagonist (or two) who I want to give recurring appearances! Gaiden 35 will be next, everyone!


	35. Tiger Fangs and Dragon Claws

_**Kitsune no Ken GAIDEN Chronicles**_

 _Written by Neon Majestic_

(DISCLAIMER: The _Naruto_ franchise and the characters therein belong to and were originally created by Masashi Kishimoto.)

 **OoOoO**

 **GAIDEN 35 – Tiger Fangs and Dragon Claws**

 _(N.B. This Gaiden begins on the night of October 7, after the Parliament incident in the final arc of the main story.)_

Saturday evening, October 7, 9:30 p.m., in the dark alleys of Sound City.

"This is a big mistake you're making, Nigai," Yukata hissed at the dark-skinned, dreadlocks-sporting Tiger Dragon gang member in front of her, with both of them surrounded by their fellow gangsters.

Nigai only scoffed in response. "Bigger than Chi leaving control of the Tiger Dragons to you after he let the pigs nab him and the others in Kumo City?"

"They took the rap so the rest of us could get away without being busted!" Yukata snapped.

"Yeah, yeah. A real generous bunch." Nigai spat to one side. "This is just the latest reason why that coward should never have been leading us in the first place."

"Don't you call Chi-sama a coward!" Yukata gritted her teeth.

"Why not? Isn't the truth supposed to hurt?" Nigai shot back. "The Tiger Dragons used to be the baddest gang in Sound City, but ever since Chi took control, what's our record been? We've been reduced to acting like errand boys for a bunch of crazy loons, running from cops, even getting humiliated by a Kyuushingai! Is this what we're supposed to be all about? I say no!"

"And have the cops put as much effort into busting us since Chi-sama took command? His actions have kept us safe from the law, kept us safe from being hauled to the lock-ups for anything worse than betty thefts!" Yukata countered. "If we ever went to anything more serious than that, the cops would never stop until we're all in prison or dead!"

"Better to die in a blaze of glory than to live with shame and humiliation," Nigai snarled. "And now that the spineless so-called boss is out of the way, it's time for us to take back these streets—take back what's rightfully ours! Who's with me?" he yelled, spreading his arms out for emphasis.

"Damn right, Nigai!" a boy from behind him shouted back.

"Nigai's right! We have to make a stand!" a girl called out.

"Oh, stuff it up your blowholes!" another girl retorted. "Nigai's just making a play for power because he's never liked Chi-sama anyway!"

"Chi-sama's done more for us than you bastards ever have! Don't be ungrateful!" another boy blasted out.

Nigai looked around—several of the boys and girls on his side were edging closer to him, while those on Yukata's side were looking his way with growing hostility. "Looks like it's a split camp, Yukata," he observed. "What say we settle this leadership spat the old-fashioned way…assuming you can handle it?"

"Bring it on!" Yukata replied. "I'm not going to let you spoil what Chi-sama's done for us!"

Nigai put up his fists and assumed a boxing stance. "Chi told you to take charge of the gang while he and his fellow saps would take the fall for the whole Parliament deal in Kumo City. I'm challenging that decision. So it's going to be me and you, one on one, with no interference from anybody else here—that way nobody can say anyone aside from the two of us influenced the outcome. Fair enough?"

"Sounds good to me," and Yukata put up her fists as well. "Just as long as you don't plan to run away."

"Funny—that should be my line," Nigai answered.

The other Tiger Dragons moved from where they were standing or sitting to form a tight ring around Yukata and Nigai. "Okay…the stage is set," said Nigai. "You ready to get on your knees, Yukata?"

"You first, traitor!" Yukata charged at Nigai and swung her fist at his head.

Nigai quickly sidestepped the attack—then ducked as Yukata pulled her elbow back in an attempt to hit him with it. Seconds later, he rammed his head into her side, forcing her to stumble backward. "You're starting to bore me already, _chica,"_ he taunted her.

"Damn it!" Yukata exploded, rushing at Nigai and leaping into a jump-kick…only for Nigai to reach up, grab her ankle, pivot in the opposite direction, and fling her over his shoulder and onto the pavement.

 _WHAM!_

Yukata cringed as her face, hands and one leg made grazing contact with the ground, but she kicked out at Nigai's face with her free foot, her heel connecting with his chin and knocking him off-balance. She promptly got back up, pointedly ignoring the burning of her scrape-injuries, and kicked Nigai in the face again, this time knocking him on his rear and forcing him to catch himself with his hands so as to not land fully on the ground. "Got you!" Yukata screamed as she rushed him—

—only to feel her head snap back seconds later as Nigai flipped backward and onto his hands, his boot catching her right under the chin. Nigai, for his part, flipped back onto his feet and turned to watch as Yukata hit the ground, disoriented from the unexpected maneuver. "A runt like _you_ got chosen to lead the Tiger Dragons? What a joke!" he spat. "But then again, Chi was a wuss to start with—makes sense he'd pick a wuss to take his place instead of a real boss."

Shaking her head to clear the stars from her vision, Yukata glared at him. "Why don't you come here and say that again up close and personal?"

"Don't mind if I do!" Nigai stepped forward and reached for Yukata's head…and then doubled over as her fist swung around and made contact with his crotch.

"Ooohhh…!" every male Tiger Dragon flinched.

Yukata quickly got to her feet at the same time Nigai collapsed to his knees while tightly doubling over and clutching his jewels. "Time to finish this!" she cried, stepping toward Nigai—

 _SHUK._

The next thing anybody knew, one of Nigai's hands was up close to Yukata's ribs and liquid crimson was squirting out over his fingers. "…ah…" was all Yukata could manage before Nigai yanked his arm back, the switchblade held in a tight grip; Yukata, for her part, automatically put her hands where the knife had been seconds before, stumbling backward and fast turning pale.

"You're right. I've finished you," Nigai commented, carefully getting up from his kneeling position.

Yukata stumbled and collapsed onto her uninjured side while still gripping her stab-wound. "…bastard…"

"What? I never said this was going to be a bare-handed fight," Nigai said scornfully. "Anybody here heard either of us say this was no-weapons?" he demanded of the surrounding Tiger Dragons. "Anybody?"

The other gangsters bore grim expressions, but stayed silent.

"Heh. That's what I thought." Nigai sneered at Yukata. "Looks like you're fired, _chica."_

"Argh…damn it…hurts…" Yukata squeezed her eyes tightly shut and bit her lip to try and block the pain of her stab-wound, even as more blood seeped out of her side…and she became acutely aware of darkness fogging up her vision, though she tried to fend it off.

"Well, let it not be said that I'm completely without mercy. You _are_ a Tiger Dragon, after all, like it or not." Nigai snapped his fingers at one of the gangsters nearby. "First order of business as the new leader of the Tiger Dragons—you, get our little runt here to the hospital. The rest of us have some plans to draft so that we won't be seen as weaklings like Yukata and Chi the coward."

"…piss off…" Then the darkness enveloped Yukata completely and she knew no more.

 **OoOoO**

"…mmm…" _Wh…wha…I'm…ow…hurts…yeah, definitely alive…_

Yukata's eyes slowly opened, adjusting little by little to the bright light peeking beneath her eyelids. "Ah…oohhh…" she moaned softly.

"Welcome back to the land of the conscious, young lady."

The voice came from her immediate left, and she saw that it was a nurse standing close by, giving her a disapproving look. "One of your delinquent friends dropped you off here," the nurse told her. "Good thing you got here when you did, too—you'd lost a fair amount of blood. That's just what happens when street hoods like you get into gang fights over turf or some such nonsense."

"Lousy bedside manner you've got," Yukata grumbled.

 _Knock-knock-knock._

They both looked up as a hand, from just outside the doorway, rapped on the doorjamb; then the hand's over, a woman sporting short brown hair, clad in a light-brown medium-length trench-coat, and sporting a stern expression on her face, walked in. "Detective Chiba Yurika, Sound City police," she introduced herself, holding up a badge for the nurse to see. "The doctor said it'd be okay to talk to the young miss."

"Yes, ma'am," the nurse nodded in understanding. "Not too long, though, please; she still needs to get further medical treatment."

"Yeah, Yurika, I need all the rest I can get," Yukata grunted.

"Don't act so familiar as to use my first name, brat. It's Detective Chiba to you," Yurika said sourly, even as she idly noted the nurse stepping out of the room. "Now, why don't you quit wasting both our time and get real with me. How'd you end up here in the first place? The doctor said you were stabbed."

"I cut myself while shaving my legs," Yukata said dryly.

Yurika stepped over to the bed and sat down on its edge, giving Yukata a very chilly eye. "You think you're funny, don't you, kid?" she scowled. "Well, here's what I find funny—you getting knifed and left to die like a dog on the roadside. You know how many kids your age end up as corpses because they were hanging around the wrong crowd? Too many. You got lucky tonight, but more often than not kids like you don't get even that much."

"Well, too bad for them for not being tough enough to survive," said Yukata.

She wasn't prepared for Yurika poking her randomly. "Ah! Hey, stop it! What the hell are you doing, crazy cop—ERGH!" she just barely managed to suppress a yelp as one poke hit her right near her stab-wound.

"Ah, _that's_ the spot, isn't it?" Yurika's expression was humorless. "Listen, kid, you're in bad enough shape as you are right now, and you're _alive._ Way too many teenagers who get in with the different street gangs end up getting hit by a stray bullet or getting a shank in the gut, and the next place they end up is in the newest cemetery plot. So tell me what happened and we can get this whole mess dealt with right away."

"And why would I tell you anything? All you authority-figure types know how to do is run off your mouths and never actually get anything right," Yukata groused.

"Doctors are authority-figure types, too, and if they couldn't do anything right, you'd be too dead for us to have this conversation, wouldn't you agree?" asked Yurika.

"…just get lost. I've nothing to say to you, pig." Yukata looked defiantly to one side.

"Suit yourself." Yurika got up and headed for the door. "At the very least, though, I'm mandated to call your parents, since you're a minor. And seeing as the front desk nurse downstairs has your name on record for you to have been admitted here, all I have to do is cross-reference your particulars with Sound City's criminal database, and I'll get your family's contact info that way."

"Whatever makes you happy. Go ahead and call my parents if you want." Yukata's scowl deepened. "It's not like they give a damn about me, anyway."

Yurika stopped at the doorway and glanced back. "Pretty harsh thing to say, isn't it?"

Yukata flashed her an annoyed look. "Get out."

The detective paused only a few seconds before shrugging and obliging.

 **OoOoO**

The Tiger Dragons were back at their regular hangout spot, an abandoned bowling alley in Sound City's downtown district. They were standing or sitting around in random spots, some playing with mobile devices, some catching a snooze in the most convenient spots they had…but most were eyeballing Nigai, who was reclining on a ratty old couch the gang had brought there for their own comfort long ago, he now resting with both hands behind his head. "Hey, man, you think it'll really be okay having Nigai as the new boss?" one Tiger Dragon asked his buddy uncertainly. "Plus, what he did to Yukata…"

"Eh, it'll be fine," the other gangster answered coolly. "I mean, look, Nigai was right—we've been getting too soft lately ever since Chi took over leadership. We've been reduced to cheap-ass crime and working as hired help for the LOVE organization. But with this now, we'll be able to make our names known beyond what we are now—nobody will ever take us for jokes again."

One female Tiger Dragon, standing near enough to hear the exchange, scoffed. "Well, let's see what the new boss has to say about our next move—maybe then we can draw a conclusion. Oi, Nigai, you awake?"

"Yeah, I'm awake, awake enough to hear you dipsticks talking smack," Nigai answered, not moving from his position on the couch. "And, FYI, our next move is exactly what I've been thinking about. And I know exactly what we need to do."

"Yeah? And what's that?" the first Tiger Dragon who'd spoken queried.

Nigai looked in the other gangsters' direction out of the corner of his eye. "We've got unfinished business in Konoha Town. I say we go back and settle it."

The gangsters eyed him keenly. "You mean that Uzumaki kid who beat Chi the last time we were there?" the second thug asked.

"Him too…but not just yet." Now Nigai sat up. "At least _he_ hasn't killed any of us—but there's that one crazy psychopath who slaughtered one of the guys back when Chi and Yukata had us break into Yukata's old high school. He's still in custody now, last I heard…but we're going to pay him back for what he did."

"Uh—how, exactly?" the female gangster wanted to know. "It's not like we know exactly _where_ the cops are holding that bastard. At least with Uzumaki, we can always find him in one place."

"Let me worry about that," said Nigai. "Right now, let's just get some sleep. Once we're all up in the morning, I'll fill you in on what exactly we're going to do." His eyes narrowed. "And it definitely won't involve us twiddling our thumbs—we're going to make it real big."

 **OoOoO**

The following morning, October 8, 10:00 a.m., back at Sound City Hospital.

"Mmm…mmm…" Yukata turned her head this way and that on her pillow as sleep faded from her. "Man, this sucks…hospital beds blow…"

"Yukata?"

Her eyes immediately popped open on hearing the voice near her bedside, and she turned her head in the direction of the speaker—an older woman with neck-length brown hair, sitting in a chair with a worried look on her face. "What do _you_ want, Yui?" Yukata asked acidly.

"That's no way to address your mother, dear," Yui said calmly but firmly. "A Detective Chiba called from the Sound City police station and told me you were here. It's time for you to come home, now."

"Go home with you? After what you helped to put me through?" Yukata demanded. "Like hell!"

Yui sighed and ran one hand from her forehead to her chin. "This again? Yukata, you don't have leeway to get mad at the world just because you got disciplined by Konoha High's disciplinary committee."

"For something I didn't do!" Yukata snapped. "And nobody even tried to hear my side of the story—not even you! My own mother!"

"And so you ditch school and run off, and the next thing I hear, you're with a street gang here in Sound City. And now look at you—in a hospital bed because of gang violence." Yui shook her head. "Street gangs only result in violence and death, Yukata. Do you really think I want that for you?"

"At least they treat me more fairly than _you've_ done," said Yukata.

"Yukata, this is nonsense. As soon as you're recovered enough that the hospital can discharge you, you're coming home with me," said Yui.

"In your dreams, lady," Yukata snorted.

"I am still your mother! I am responsible for you!" Yui exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how many nights I have spent worrying about whether I'll get a call saying they've found your body in some alleyway somewhere? Stop being so rebellious and come home!"

"Not till you and everybody else apologizes for ruining my life!" Yukata yelled.

Seconds later a nurse hurried in. "What's all the noise about?" she demanded. "Please keep it down, you're still inside a hospital!"

"Get this bitch out of here!" Yukata raged, pointing at Yui.

"H-how dare you!" Yui's eyes went wide with outrage.

"GET HER OUT OF HERE!" Yukata exploded.

The nurse quickly took Yui by the arm. "Ma'am, please come with me," she said urgently.

"This is outrageous! I'm her mother!" Yui cried.

"Come on!" the nurse insisted, pulling Yui out of the room. "Listen to me, ma'am, you're not making the situation any better right now. You both need space to calm down."

"Calm down? After being disrespected like that? As if!" Yui yanked her arm free from the nurse's grip. "I won't let this go unresolved! Just watch and see!" and with that she stormed off down the hallway, even as several other nurses and patients in the corridor stared at her departure.

 **OoOoO**

While Yukata and her mother had their less-than-pleasant reunion, back at the Tiger Dragons' hangout…

"Eh? That's what you want to do?" one of the Tiger Dragons exclaimed.

"Geez, Nigai, that's real ballsy of you!" another declared.

The entire gang was awake by this point, all listening to their newly-appointed leader as he shared his plan. In response to the queries, Nigai nodded. "I've been keeping tabs on this for a while now—the schedule's perfect," he said. "But of course, seeing as we're not local to that area, we'll need help."

"And where, exactly, do you intend to get this help?" a third Tiger Dragon wondered aloud.

Nigai's eyes narrowed. "From a couple of guys who have just as much stake in this as we do."

 **OoOoO**

"Honestly—the nerve of that child! Thinks she knows so much about life…!" Yui growled under her breath as she sat in the back of the taxi, glaring out the window at the passing traffic. "Ugh, driver, how much further till we get to the police station?"

"Just another block from here, miss," the driver said casually. "What's got you so hot under the collar, though? It's a pretty nice day out today."

"My ungrateful bitch of a daughter, that's what," Yui grated out.

The cabbie sucked in air between his teeth and winced. "Oooh. That's kind of harsh, isn't it?"

"Do you have kids?" Yui asked.

"Nope," the cabbie admitted.

"Then you haven't a clue what it's like to deal with ingratitude from your offspring." Yui shook her head.

"I guess not." The cabbie shrugged. "All right, here we are."

Yui looked out the window again and saw the tall, imposing building just outside with a concrete sign that spelled out _Sound City Police Department_ in large white letters. "Thanks," she muttered, and handed the driver the fare before exiting the cab. Then, resolutely, she marched toward the precinct's front entrance and made a beeline for the officer at the front desk.

"Morning, ma'am; can I help you?" the officer inquired politely.

"I hope so," Yui answered. "I need to see Detective Chiba right away. It's about my daughter, Yukata."

"Did I hear my name being called?" a voice announced behind her, and she turned to see its owner Yurika. "I'm Detective Chiba. And I heard Yukata's name too…so you must be her mother, Yui-san."

"Yes…we spoke on the phone before," said Yui. "I'm just coming from the hospital."

Yurika regarded her. "From the look on your face, I take it the reunion wasn't a happy one."

"Yukata had the nerve to call me a bitch and order me out of her room. Me! Her own mother!" Yui said indignantly. "I've never seen or heard of any child being so disrespectful to their parents!"

"Come, let's take a little walk," and Yurika took Yui by the arm and led her to one side. "I know about Yukata from her rap sheet…she's been a regular with the local Tiger Dragon gang for quite some time. But seeing as she's from Konoha Town originally, I take it she wasn't always inclined to lawbreaking."

"Of course not! I raised her better than that!" said Yui. "She wasn't perfect, mind you, but nothing like _this._ These Tiger Dragon people you're talking about, they must be the ones who corrupted her. Can't your police have them locked up?"

"Not unless someone lays charges against them, I'm afraid," said Yurika. "And while it's true that they've committed quite a few felonies, they've always made sure their crimes don't get any worse than assault or vandalism. We see them as an occasional nuisance, not bad enough to get too worked up about."

Yui stared at the detective in surprise. "Isn't that a little too hands-off for a police officer?" she asked. "Isn't that how big crime always starts—with little crimes that you wouldn't really bother to investigate?"

"Compared to the murders, rapes, robberies, and other major crimes we have to deal with, one street gang making noise here and there and otherwise not calling too much attention to themselves isn't going to be that much of a big deal for us to put our resources toward prosecuting, ma'am," said Yurika.

"Well, at least can't you find whoever put Yukata in the hospital and charge them?" Yui wondered.

"Only if your daughter's willing to identify who it was—and she wasn't too cooperative with me when I saw her last night," Yurika admitted. "As it stands, I'll have to wait until the next time the doctor allows me to go back and question Yukata…and considering _your_ meeting with her ended in a fiery manner, I'll have to give her a little time to cool off. And…" She gave Yui a sympathetic look. "Maybe you should take some time and calm down before you come back to see her again."

Yui scoffed. "Hmph! I'll only go back to see her if she's willing to apologize for her behavior to me today."

Yurika considered the statement. "Tell you what…how about, the next time I see her, I try and talk to her about all of that, and then I'll call you again and we can have a meeting between you and her. Does that sound fair?"

"…I guess I'll have to take what I can get at this point." Yui shook her head. "How did it all go wrong…?"

 **OoOoO**

Much later that night, 11:30 p.m...

Nigai and four other Tiger Dragons rode their motorcycles along the highway, with Konoha Town looming just ahead of them. As they approached and entered the town's main thoroughfare, they slipped off onto a nearby back-street and zipped along, keeping their eyes peeled for any police officers as they made their way to their destination…a seedy-looking bar in a not-so-inviting part of the city. "Shippuden Tavern…here we are," Nigai announced as they pulled up to the establishment and dismounted their bikes.

The quartet briskly strode into the bar, paying no need to the looks that immediately came their way from the patrons already inside. Some of the looks were curious, plainly wondering what a bunch of guys who were clearly not regulars and obviously not recognizable residents of Konoha Town were doing there; other looks were more hostile, coming from the gangsters among the patrons even as they stayed where they were and cautiously sipped their various brews, mindful of Shippuden Tavern's unspoken law that the location was supposed to be a neutral zone for all criminals who entered its doors.

The bartender's expression, however, was much more indifferent as the four Tiger Dragons strode up to the bar. "What can I get you guys?" he asked.

"Four bottles of Heineken," Nigai said readily. "Also directions to the Purple Storm gang."

The indifferent expression stayed on the bartender's face as he turned to the fridge behind the bar and took out four green bottles, placing them on the counter and opening them one by one. When he spoke again, however, his tone was clipped. "Seeing as you're obviously not from around these parts, I'll let you know—you start any violence in here, and you won't be leaving on your own power. We've got a neutral-ground policy here; all the gangsters of Konoha Town abide by it, and you'd better do likewise. Got me?"

"No trouble whatsoever, pops," and Nigai picked up one of the bottles, softly snapping the fingers of his other hand at his followers. "Pay the man."

One of the Tiger Dragons pulled out a thick wad of bills, rolled up with a rubber band holding the wad together, and tossed it on the counter. Eyeing the money, the bartender nodded. "There's a trio over in the corner by the speaker boxes, purple jackets with whirlwind designs on the shoulders—they're the ones you want," he advised the group.

"Cool." Nigai waited for his accomplices to pick up their beers; then, as one, they casually strolled toward the designated trio of purple-jacketed thugs, while pointedly ignoring the suspicious looks coming at them from the other patrons.

The three thugs in question, mindful of the Tiger Dragons' approach, turned and looked at them with narrowed eyes. "Something we can help you with, fellas?" one of them growled.

"You guys with the Purple Storms?" Nigai got right to the point.

"Who's asking?" the trio's speaker queried.

"The Tiger Dragons from out of Sound City," Nigai answered. "We've come to make a deal…one that helps you get revenge on the guy who killed your big boss Arashi a while back."

As one, the three gangsters swiveled in their seats to look fully at Nigai and his crew. "You mean that Spiral Reaper creep?" their speaker asked. "What good will that do? The cops already have him."

"True. But we're offering you a shot at getting to him even despite that," Nigai said calmly. "It'll be a chance for all of us to stick it to the pigs as well. That bastard killed one of our boys a while back, so we've got a stake in this too, but we haven't got enough knowledge of this area to know when and how to strike at him. That's where you Purple Storm guys come in—you are local, so you know when the best times would be to try and reach him where he is at present."

"I'm afraid you'll have to sweeten the pot a little better than that," the Purple Storm speaker answered.

"I figured you might say something like that." Nigai took a swig from his beer bottle. "So how about this—in addition to us joining up to kill the Spiral Reaper guy, I propose that we also join up to kill that Kyuushingai kid who's living here in Konoha Town now. You know of him, right?"

At that, the three Purple Storms looked at each other. "Uh-huh, we know of him," their speaker said at last. "And we're not about to pick a fight with a guy like that just so."

"Hmm. Well, that's your choice." Nigai shrugged. "But think about it—it'd at least be one step up in your street cred if the word got around that you had a hand in killing a Terror. And you need all the cred you can get right now, especially since you guys have lost your boss."

"Eh, we're managing all right," the Purple Storm speaker said dismissively.

"Are you, really?" Nigai countered. "Arashi got killed like a punk with a sneak attack in his own house, and you guys have a Kyuushingai living in your town and you've barely done much of anything to deal with him—do you really think anyone else is going to take you seriously after those kinds of blows to your rep? We're offering you a chance to make it right, like what we're going to do regarding those two guys. You shrink back now, you'll be cowards all the rest of your lives. You really want that?"

The speaker glowered at him. "Nobody calls a Purple Storm a coward, Tiger Dragon. _Nobody._ Got that?"

Nigai smiled nastily. "Then prove it."

A heavy silence hung between the two groups. Then the Purple Storm speaker took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Draw up some chairs, fellas. It seems we may be talking business after all."

"Sounds fine to me." Nigai nodded.

 **OoOoO**

END GAIDEN 35

00000

NEON MAJESTIC: And so, in this Gaiden, we are introduced to Nigai; in canon a Kumo ninja who was neutral to Konoha at most, but here the resident Starscream of the Tiger Dragon gang and a definite not-good-guy. For those who don't understand, "Starcream" in TV Tropes language refers to that one underling in the bad guys' team who wants to usurp the boss and become the boss himself, named after a certain Decepticon from the _Transformers_ franchise who's kind of famous for constantly trying to pull this exact kind of thing. I also modeled his personality in this story after Sa'luk from _Aladdin and the King of Thieves,_ who likewise hated his boss Cassim's apparent "softness" in not wishing to hurt the innocent with the Forty Thieves' capers and sought to overthrow him, like how Nigai here hates how Chi's policy of staying under the Sound City cops' radar has made the Tiger Dragon gang appear to be soft.

A little note about Yurika, as well. In canon, she was a member of Konoha's cryptanalysis team; here, she's a detective for the Sound City police, with me giving her the surname Chiba (she didn't have a revealed one in canon).

Also, about Yui—she was a random minor character in canon, and had no relation to Yukata; here, I've made them mother and daughter.

And what we have here now is this: The Tiger Dragon gang has new leadership after Nigai wrests control from Yukata; the Tiger Dragons are preparing to form an alliance with the Purple Storm gang; and Yukata's friction with her mother is shown, even as Yurika continues her own detective work! More to come in this regard!


End file.
